Official Federal Data
Highland County, Virginia
FIPS 51091 · Population 2,296
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$65,625 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
3%
Unemployment
4% national
$111M ▲
GDP
30.8% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 2,296 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$65,625 ▲
Per Capita
$34,453 ▲
Mean Household
$76,499 ▲
Poverty Rate
9.5% ▼approx.
Median Income Comparison
Highland County$65,625
Virginia$93,170
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 14.5%
18-34 · 17.6%
35-54 · 16.8%
55-64 · 16.3%
65+ · 34.8%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
88.8%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 0.8 pts
30.8%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 4.9 pts
10.2%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 3.9 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
2,296
Population
1,038
Labor Force
Employed
914
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3%
Mean Commute 1 min above national avg
27.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
21.1%
Key Takeaways
- Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
- Aging population: Median age of 56 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Information employs 108 workers (55.1% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $72,256.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $111M (2024).
- Wage stratification: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services averages $114,289 while Administrative and Support and Waste Management averages $25,816, a 4.4x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Construction Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
28
Cluster Employment
3.84x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Construction of Buildings
3.84x 28
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Construction of Buildings concentrates at 3.84x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$200,000 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$856 ▲
Rent/Mo
88.9% ▲
Owner-Occ
46.2% ▼
Vacancy
3.0x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$745/mo
1 Bedroom
$749/mo
2 Bedroom
$914/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,233/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,429/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,641/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.0x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- High home ownership: 88.9% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Elevated vacancy: 46.2% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
- Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,641/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
1,164 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 1 min above national avg
27.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
21.1%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
78.8%
of prime-age population
▲ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
30.8% ▲
HS Diploma+
88.8% ▲
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
72,277/yr
25,513/yr
10,335/yr
10,020/yr
9,615/yr
9,087/yr
7,707/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
32.2%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
41.6%
Service
16.1%
Sales & Office
18.5%
Construction / Maint.
17%
Production / Transport
6.9%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 914 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 32.2% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Low participation: 52.9% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 45,868 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Highland County shows meaningful potential for construction of buildings attraction, with a 3.84x concentration and 28 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 32.2% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Highland County, Virginia, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Highland County, Virginia?
2,296 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Highland County, Virginia?
$65,625 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Highland County, Virginia?
3% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Highland County, Virginia?
$111M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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