1st Advantage MortgageHighland County households have a median income of $65,625 and median rent of $856 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). Whatever your own numbers, compare written offers on APR, fees and total cost, and verify the lender is licensed in Virginia before sharing details.
On this page
- Highland County, VA: the basics
- What it costs to live in Highland County
- What Highland County households earn
- Employment and commuting in Highland County
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Highland County
- Counties near Highland County
- More Highland County figures
- Local borrowing considerations for Highland County
- Debt-to-income at Highland County's medians
- Before you sign
- Checking a lender's license in Virginia
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Highland County, VA: the basics
Roughly 2,296 residents live in Highland County, Virginia, 133rd by population among the state's 133 counties and county equivalents. Spread over 415 square miles, that works out to roughly 5.5 residents per square mile. It sits outside every metropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation. Of the 2 Census places inside Highland County, Monterey leads by population with about 197; 1 of the 2 are incorporated. Small populations mean wide margins of error, so read every Highland County figure on this page as a rough guide.
What it costs to live in Highland County
A typical Highland County rental runs $856 a month including utilities, which is 46% below Virginia. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 55% of renter households here. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $200,000, about 3.0 times the median household income. The ownership rate is 89%.
| Measure | Highland County | Virginia | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $856/mo | $1,579/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $200,000 | $383,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 89% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 55% | 49% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 28% | 25% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Highland County, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it. Rent pressure is real here, so run any payment through the debt-to-income calculator before you apply.
What Highland County households earn
At $65,625, the typical Highland County household income sits near the median U.S. county ($65,681).
| Yearly household income | Highland County | Gap to Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 21.4% | +3.5 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 49.9% | +14.6 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 26.3% | -2.9 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 2.4% | -15.3 pts |
Some 21% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 29% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 9.5% of Highland County residents in poverty, against 9.9% across Virginia. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.371 here. A household earning below the $65,625 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Employment and commuting in Highland County
Education and health care employs 19% of working residents, the largest share; construction is next with 16%. Compared with Virginia, the county leans toward construction (16% against 7%). Averaged over the five survey years, 11.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking. 21% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 21% work from home.
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Highland County | Gap to Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 18.9% | -3.4 pts |
| Construction | 16.2% | +9.7 pts |
| Public administration | 13.0% | +4.1 pts |
| Other services | 8.1% | +2.8 pts |
| Agriculture, forestry and mining | 7.8% | +6.9 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 7.4% | -0.5 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
Cities, towns and CDPs in Highland County
The table lists the 2 largest of 2 Census places in Highland County, by population. Together all 2 hold about 255 people, so roughly 89% of residents live outside any named place. No Highland County place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 2.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey | town | 197 | $60,849 | $850 | 3 mi |
| McDowell | CDP | 58 | n/a | n/a | 4 mi |
Counties near Highland County
Distances run center to center, from Bath County at 22 miles out to Randolph County at 33. Income ranges from $42,119 in Pocahontas County to $82,049 in Augusta County; 1 of these neighbors top Highland County's median. Some neighbors are in West Virginia. Lender licensing is state by state, so a loan for a Highland County resident follows Virginia rules.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland County | - | $65,625 | $856/mo | 89% |
| Bath County, VA | 22 mi | $56,184 | $736/mo | 71% |
| Pocahontas County, WV | 24 mi | $42,119 | $715/mo | 84% |
| Pendleton County, WV | 24 mi | $64,931 | $770/mo | 85% |
| Augusta County, VA | 27 mi | $82,049 | $1,136/mo | 80% |
| Staunton city, VA | 31 mi | $65,581 | $1,024/mo | 61% |
| Randolph County, WV | 33 mi | $52,757 | $821/mo | 75% |
More Highland County figures
Degree holders: 31% of adults over 25. 3.9% of residents have no health coverage.
| Highland County | Virginia | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.5 | 39.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 30.8% | 42.2% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 11.2% | 8.4% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 3.9% | 6.9% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 5.1% | 6.1% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 21.1% | 18.3% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 9.9% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 11.9% | 4.3% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 35.5% |
| 15 to 29 min | 24.5% |
| 30 to 44 min | 19.3% |
| 45 to 59 min | 8.7% |
| 60+ min | 12.1% |
Local borrowing considerations for Highland County
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Highland County borrowers.
- Long drives. With 21% of commutes over 45 minutes, tires and repairs are fixed costs in many Highland County budgets.
- Mobile home upkeep. 15% of units fall in this category; roof, skirting and HVAC jobs are common reasons to borrow.
- Retirees. At a median age of 56.5, many borrowers here rely on award letters as proof of income; favor no prepayment penalty.
- Renters under pressure. When 55% pay 30% or more for rent, the smallest loan that solves the problem is the right size.
Debt-to-income at Highland County's medians
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Highland County's medians:
- $5,469 a month: gross income for a household at the Highland County median
- Rent at the median, $856, takes 16% of that
- 40% debt-to-income limit: $1,332 left for all other debt payments
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Highland County's.
Before you sign
A short checklist for Highland County borrowers:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- A Virginia license check takes minutes; do it first.
- Keep a small cushion so one surprise bill does not mean another loan.
Checking a lender's license in Virginia
Consumer lenders serving Highland County are licensed by the state, not the county; in Virginia that is the Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. The Virginia guide covers state rules in more detail.
Nearby and statewide guides
The Virginia guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Highland County household make?
About $65,625 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24), 30% below the Virginia median.
What do renters pay in Highland County?
$856 a month at the median, about 16% of median household income.
Should Highland County homeowners use home equity instead?
Maybe, but weigh the risk: 89% of Highland County homes are owner-occupied, and a home-equity loan or line is secured by the house while a personal loan usually is not.
I live in a small Highland County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Monterey, McDowell.
Is the fit check different in Highland County?
No. It is identical everywhere, and it never looks at your neighborhood.