Even though people have been living in the Highlands Ranch area for many, many decades, it became an actual “community” in 1981. Since the 1980s, Highlands Ranch has grown significantly and become one of the Denver Metropolitan area’s most popular places to live.

Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community. With approximately 130,000 permanent residents, it is one of the largest unincorporated areas – in terms of population – in the country. The racial make up of Highlands Ranch is 94.78% Caucasian, 5.42% Hispanic or Latino, 0.01% African American, 0.33% Native American, 4.03% Asian, and 0.07% Pacific Islander.

The community maintains four large and modern recreation centers which include pools, exercise rooms, and many, many activities. There are also many public parks in Highlands Ranch as well as more than 60 miles of hiking, biking, jogging/walking trails.

Highlands Ranch Economy

Many large businesses have corporate headquarters or large regional offices based in Highlands Ranch. One of the largest is Lucent Technologies. Other large corporations, stores, restaurants,and retail malls provide numerous jobs to residents, as well as allow individuals to live, work, eat, shop, and do just about anything they need to do without ever having to leave Highlands Ranch..

The median income for a household in Highlands Ranch is $86,792, the median income for a family is $92,563, the median income for males is $62,474, the median income for females is $40,910, and the per capita income for Highlands Ranch residents is $34,707. In Highlands Ranch, 1.8% of the population and 1.2% of families live below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 and older.

Highlands Ranch Real Estate

Prices for homes in Highlands Ranch can vary significantly. It’s possible to find a very nice and spacious new (or almost new) home for under $200,000, and it’s also possible to find luxurious homes for over $1 million. Prices also vary depending on the location within Highlands Ranch. Some are located closer to the Denver Tech Center than others, and being closer sometimes makes the homes more valuable.