Select a Domain Below to Explore the Data for Highlands County
At A Glance
With a population of approximately 103,296, Highlands County is centrally located in Florida, with the County seat being located in Sebring. The County encompasses 1,106 square miles and is the 14th-largest county in Florida by land area. The County is home to Avon Park, Lake Placid, Lorida, Sebring, and Venus.
Key Indicators – Highlands County
Population & Demographics – Highlands County
Total Population
In 2020, the official U.S. Census Bureau count put the population of Highlands County at 104,574. This number represents a 5.78% increase from the estimated population in 2016 (98,862). The estimated population in 2023 for Highlands County was 104,385. Despite a slight population decline from 2020 to 2023, long-term projections for the Highlands County population predict a steady increase in population; however, population is likely to grow at a rate less than that seen by the county from 2016 to 2020.
Age Distribution
In 2022, the median age for residents of Highlands County was 54.1 years of age, almost 12 years older than the median age for the population of the state of Florida (42.4 years), and 15 years older than the median age for the population of the United States. Additionally, the median age of Highlands County residents has steadily increased over the past 10 years.
Change in Age Over Time
Highlands County has an older population than the state of Florida as a whole. The average age for a citizen of Highlands County is 54.1 years, as opposed to 42.4 years for the statewide average. This difference can be attributed to the relatively large population of seniors (age 65 or above) in Highlands County, where they make up 35.9% of the population. Since the year 2000, the population of Highlands County has continued to increase in age, with a steady decrease in the percentage of the population under the age of 18, and a continued increase in the over 65 population. The increase in the elderly population within Highlands County highlights the need for greater services and programs catering to those over the age of 65.
Racial Demographics
Note: The U.S. Census Bureau defines “Hispanic” as an ethnicity rather than a race. Officially, in the census statistics, a person of any race can be of Hispanic ethnicity. For the purposes of this chart, Hispanic populations have been separated into their own category regardless of their census-recognized race.
In Highlands County, approximately 22.9% of the population identifies as Hispanic, 64.6% of the population self-identifies as White, non-Hispanic, and roughly 10% of citizens identify as Black, non-Hispanic. Less than 3% of the population of Highlands County is made up of other racial groups. As compared to the state of Florida as a whole, Highlands County has a significantly larger percentage of White citizens, and a significantly smaller percentage of citizens in nearly every other racial and ethnic grouping.
Source: countyhealthrankings.org, Health Data, Florida, Highlands, Florida, 2025