| Index | Highland | California | National |
| Cost of living | 131 | 141 | 100 |
| Groceries | 110 | 111 | 100 |
| Health care | 116 | 116 | 100 |
| Housing | 167 | 197 | 100 |
| Transportation | 118 | 118 | 100 |
| Utilities | 117 | 119 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 115 | 120 | 100 |
| Household Items | 112 | 111 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 130 | 127 | 100 |
The cost of living in Highland affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Highland is 131, which is 31% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.
If affordability is among your top priorities when searching for a new place to live, this area may not be the ideal fit, as the cost of living in Highland is among the most expensive in the United States. Just a minority of areas exhibit a cost of living at least 20% higher than the national average, and unfortunately, Highland falls into this category, which may not align with your goal of finding a budget-friendly living environment.
Housing costs are a very significant part of the Highland cost of living index and generally encompass a large percentage of take-home income. Unfortunately, in this area, the housing costs for both homes and rentals were 66.8% more than the average city. This includes things like home and rent prices, mortgage rates and insurance.
Household expenses account for 8% of the cost of living index and include the products people rely on every week, from toiletries and detergent to clothing and kitchen essentials. In Highland, household essentials are 12.2% more expensive than the U.S. average, which can leave less room in your monthly budget.
Is Highland an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Highland is 86.1% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 21.8% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Highland has a median household income of $93,214, which is 14.6% higher than the national average.
Transportation: In areas where public transportation is scarce or unavailable, residents often find themselves compelled to own and upkeep vehicles, thereby increasing the overall cost of living. Monthly expenses encompass fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potentially lease or financing payments. In Highland, the transportation index is 18.4% higher than the national average.
Groceries: Grocery prices have seen substantial hikes in the last 2-3 years, with some markets witnessing food cost increases of over 20% during this period. Conversely, certain markets have experienced only moderate upticks. These variations in food expenses can have a substantial impact on the overall cost of living in any locality. In Highland, the groceries index is 9.8% higher than the national average.
Housing: When everyone's vying for homes in popular areas, it drives up property prices and rents, making the overall cost of living surge. On the flip side, in less sought-after locales, where housing demand is low, prices tend to dip, resulting in a more economical cost of living. In Highland, the housing index comes in at 66.8% higher than the national average.
The Highland cost of living estimates above use a normalized U.S. average of 100 as the baseline for comparison. Housing values incorporate local home price and rental information from the U.S. Census, while all other estimates are AI-assisted and modeled using expected everyday expenses, local market trends, climate, and transportation-related cost pressures. The results are intended for practical city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $130,405 | $10,867 | $3,043 | $3,913 |
| Renters | $54,486 | $4,541 | $1,271 | $1,635 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| California | 7.25% | 10.5% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| California | 1% | 13.3% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| San Bernardino, CA | 221,910 | 124 | 23.5% |
| Crestline, CA | 9,723 | 123 | 23.0% |
| Calimesa, CA | 9,446 | 124 | 24.1% |
| Running Springs, CA | 4,509 | 123 | 23.4% |
| Muscoy, CA | 11,809 | 126 | 26.0% |
| Highland, CA | 56,606 | 131 | 31.3% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Hacienda Heights, CA | 56,603 | 172 | 71.7% |
| Cathedral City, CA | 56,625 | 128 | 28.5% |
| Berwyn, IL | 56,642 | 106 | 6.5% |
| Chicopee, MA | 56,658 | 111 | 11.4% |
| Burlington, NC | 56,679 | 92 | 7.5% |
| Highland, CA | 56,606 | 131 | 31.3% |
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