What it's like to live in Highland
Highland is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Highland deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Highland compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Highland
Based on Highland's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,710
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,200 a year
- 42% of Highland renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$40,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $20,290
- Homes cost 2.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 39% below US
$855/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $855 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $202,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $202,900 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Madison County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Madison County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 73% below US
90 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 320/100k · Highland Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Gateway Arch National Park (29 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Highland's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($855/mo) equals 12% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Highland
All Illinois guides →Moving to Glen Carbon →
16 mi away · pop. 13,977
Rent $1,097/mo · Income $97,168
Compare with Highland →Moving to Edwardsville →
17 mi away · pop. 26,474
Rent $1,306/mo · Income $86,721
Compare with Highland →Not sure Highland is the one?
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