Highlands is an incorporated

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Macon County in the U.S. state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. Located on a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

in the southern

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

, within the Nantahala National Forest, it lies mostly in southeastern Macon County and slightly in southwestern Jackson County, in the Highlands and Cashiers

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

s, respectively. The permanent population was 1,014 at the 2020 census.

History

Highlands was founded in 1875 after its two founders, Samuel Truman Kelsey and Clinton Carter Hutchinson, drew lines from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

and from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. They felt that the place where these lines met would eventually become a great trading center and commercial crossroads. Highlands was named for its lofty elevation. In the 1930s the town became a

golfing Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

mecca when Bobby Jones of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and some of his well-heeled golfing buddies founded the Highlands Country Club. Today that club is one of seven successful residential country club communities in the area. The Highlands Country Club is south of Highlands on Dillard Road (

North Carolina Highway 106 Georgia State Route 246 (SR 246) and North Carolina Highway 106 (NC 106) are actually a pair of highway designations that run concurrently on a single road that runs from Dillard, Georgia to Highlands, North Carolina. The r ...

Geography

Highlands is located at (35.054129, -83.202351). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the community has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.94%, is water. The official average

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

within town limits is , making it one of the highest incorporated municipalities east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. The annual rainfall approaches due to the orographic lifting effect of storms coming from the lower elevations. This rainfall, coupled with abundant sunshine, creates a lush and verdant microclimate that appeals to botanists.

Climate

Highlands has a subtropical highland climate ( Köppen ''Cfb''), with cool winters and warm summers. Highlands experiences notably cooler weather than the rest of the American South; this cooling is caused by its altitude. Astride the

Eastern Continental Divide The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a hydrographic divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico watershed. The divide nearly span ...

, at just over , the town's elevation contributes to its relatively cool summers and abundant rainfall, averaging per year. Average

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

fall is , largely due to the fact that Highlands is further south and east in the

. In 2013 Highlands received 106 inches of rainfall. Areas of similar elevation on the northwest side of the Appalachian region, such as

Banner Elk Banner Elk is a town in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2010 census. Banner Elk is home to Lees–McRae College. History The area surrounding the Elk River was inhabited by the Cherokee before weste ...

, are not as protected from periodic blasts of Arctic air and receive more substantial snowfall. Highlands is one of the very rare locations at this latitude that has an average high of 78 °F or 26 °C in July, far lower than the rest of the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

Economy

Tourism

Highlands is increasingly becoming a two-season community; a summer-season community and an ever-growing winter-season community. The summer season (generally March through November) draws large numbers of Southerners from the summertime heat and humidity found throughout much of the region to enjoy the cooler mountains and hometown "Main Street experience". The town is dotted with

antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...

dealers, an auction house, restaurants (six of which have received awards from ''

Wine Spectator ''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture, and gives out ratings to certain types of wine. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertain ...

''), shops, and inns, as well as several buildings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. For the performing arts there are four theaters: The Highlands Playhouse (founded in 1938), the Instant Theatre Company (founded in 1981), the Highlands Community Players (founded in 1995), and the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center, which hosts touring groups. For the visual arts there is The Bascom - A Center for the Visual Arts, a new facility named for the artist and playwright, Louise Rand Bascom Barratt. The historic (NRHP-listed)

Lee's Inn Lee's may refer to: Companies * Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, an American fried chicken restaurant chain * Lee's Sandwiches, a Vietnamese-American fast food restaurant chain Places * Lee's Ferry, a site along the Colorado River in Coconino County ...

, with an enormous tree growing through the middle of its dining room, was lost to an electrical fire in the 1980s and was not rebuilt. The historic Old Edwards Inn (also NRHP-listed) continues to operate as an inn and spa catering to affluent demographics.

Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center

The Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center is a prominent venue in Highlands, featuring independent theater and local musical acts. When the building, which was formerly the Community Bible Church, went up for sale in 1999, the founding director of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival started a fundraising campaign to buy the property so that the festival could have a permanent home. Since then, the Performing Arts Center has brought over 255 performances to the southeastern Macon County area.

Public utilities and services

There is one

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

in the town, Highlands School, as well as a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

, known as the Hudson Library. The Hudson Library is part of the

Fontana Regional Library Fontana may refer to: Places Italy * Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone * Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone *Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino * Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindis ...

, which serves Swain, Jackson, and Macon counties. The Hudson Library also housed The Bascom until May 2009; The Bascom is a nonprofit visual arts center that is housed on a six-building, six-acre campus, and offers exhibitions and educational programs. Highlands has one hospital, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Highlands has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

, with ZIP code 28741 covering all of Highlands township and adjacent parts of Sugar Fork township. It is within

area code 828 In the North American Numbering Plan for telephone service, area code 828 is the telephone area code for most of the western third of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It includes the Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as most of the Foothills. Th ...

, and all telephone numbers served by the town's exchange begin with 526 or 482, with seven-digit dialing allowed. Since buying

GTE GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (1955–1982), was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System. The company operated from 1926, with roots tracing furth ...

Verizon Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...

is now the

telephone company A telephone company, also known as a telco, telephone service provider, or telecommunications operator, is a kind of communications service provider (CSP), more precisely a telecommunications service provider (TSP), that provides telecommunicat ...

for the area. It also offers DSL high-speed Internet.

Television and Internet

Cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...

and

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

services for the town of Highlands are contracted to Northland Communications Corporation and Highlands Cable Group. Both systems carry local

TV station A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth ...

s from the Asheville/ Hendersonville Greenville/ Spartanburg Designated Market Area. Additionally, because there are many visitors and residents from

metro Atlanta Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...

, Northland carries two major-TV network stations from Atlanta:

WSB-TV WSB-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Cox Media Group, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to rad ...

2 (ABC),

WAGA Waga ( si, වග, ta, வாகா) is an area or a cluster of villages in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Administrated by Seethawaka Pradeshiya Sabha (Divisional Council). It is within the Seethawaka Divisional Secretariat Division. Waga is said ...

TV 5 (Fox). Highlands Cable Group now carries all the local networks and the 3 "PBS" networks as well as "Peachtree TV" and "Fox Networks". Highlands is the

city of license In American, Canadian, and Mexican broadcasting, a city of license or community of license is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator. In North American broa ...

for two

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

s. WHLC FM 104.5 broadcasts from a house just north of the town and is one of very few stations to still have an

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

. Its

omnidirectional Omnidirectional refers to the notion of existing in every direction. Omnidirectional devices include: * Omnidirectional antenna, an antenna that radiates equally in all directions * VHF omnidirectional range, a type of radio navigation system for ...

broadcast range extends into all three surrounding states, going furthest into

upstate South Carolina The Upstate is the region in the westernmost part of South Carolina, United States, also known as the Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerc ...

. W277CU on 103.3

relay A relay Electromechanical relay schematic showing a control coil, four pairs of normally open and one pair of normally closed contacts An automotive-style miniature relay with the dust cover taken off A relay is an electrically operated switch ...

s Western North Carolina Public Radio from Asheville. UNCTV is relayed

digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals **Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...

ly on W35CK-D, replacing

analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analo ...

W27BD.

Transportation

There are four major roads in and out of town. Franklin Road and most of Main Street carry

U.S. 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...

west and N.C. 28 north, going briefly west and then northwest to

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

, along the

Mountain Waters Scenic Byway The Mountain Waters Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway that traverses through the Nantahala National Forest, in Western North Carolina. It features two river gorges, hardwood forests and countryside vistas. Route description The fir ...

alongside the Cullasaja River. Cashiers Road and north Fourth Street carry U.S. 64 east, going north and then northeast toward Cashiers, with views of

Whiteside Mountain Whiteside Mountain or Sanigilâ'gĭ in Cherokee is a mountain in Jackson County, North Carolina between Cashiers, Highlands, North Carolina, and the Georgia border. Whiteside Mountain can boast the highest cliffs in Eastern North America. It als ...

. Walhalla Road and south Fourth Street carry N.C. 28 briefly south, west around the south side of downtown, and then south again toward Pine Mountain, Georgia and

Walhalla, South Carolina Walhalla is a city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. Designated in 1868 as the county seat, it lies within the area of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, an area of transition between mountains ...

, keeping the number 28 in all three states. Dillard Road carries N.C. 106 southwest toward Scaly Mountain and Sky Valley, becoming

Georgia 246 Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, crossing the state line five times, and soon ending at U.S. 441 in

Dillard Dillard may refer to: People * Dillard (name) Places in the United States * Dillard, Alabama * Dillard, Georgia * Dillard, New Orleans, Louisiana * Dillard, Missouri * Dillard, North Carolina * Dillard, Oklahoma * Dillard, Oregon Arts, entertai ...

. There are also other state secondary roads maintained by NCDOT, with Buck Creek Road (N.C. 1535/1538) acting as a very curvy bypass route around the town. There is no public transportation within or through the town. The nearest municipal airport is

Macon County Airport Macon County Airport is a public use airport in Macon County, North Carolina, United States. Owned by the Macon County Airport Authority, it is located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of central business district of Franklin, Nor ...

, between Franklin and Iotla. While it is also the nearest automated airport weather station, conditions there do not accurately reflect Highlands, as there is a major difference in elevation, and therefore

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

and

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

. A

USFS The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

RAWS The Remote Automatic Weather Stations (RAWS) system is a network of automated weather stations run by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and monitored by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), mainly to observe ...

automated weather station An automatic weather station (AWS) is an automated version of the traditional weather station, either to save human labour or to enable measurements from remote areas. An AWS will typically consist of a weather-proof enclosure containing the data ...

(HGLN7) operates from north-northwest of Highlands, along Flat Mountain Road (N.C. 1544).

Recreation

Hiking

The nature and hiking trails around Highlands are popular with backpackers, and there is at least one

outfitter An outfitter is a shop or person that sells specialized clothes (an ''outfit'' is a set of clothing). More specifically, it is a company or individual who provides or deals in equipment and supplies for the pursuit of certain activities. In North ...

store in town. There are several mountainous hiking trails, including several leading to waterfalls.

Fishing

Fishing is available in Highlands, at

Harris Lake Harris Lake or Harris Lake may refer to: *Harris Lake (Berrien County, Michigan) *Harris Lake (New Hill, North Carolina) *Harris Lake (Highlands, North Carolina) *Thomas Lake Harris, an American spiritualistic prophet and poet *Lake Harris (Florida ...

Cliffside Lake Recreation Area The Cliffside Lake Recreation Area is located in Nantahala National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. It offers both fishing and swimming and is less than ten miles northwest of Highlands, North Carolina Highlands is an incorp ...

and other in-town and surrounding-area lakes. Cliffside Lake, in particular, is stocked with Rainbow, Brown and Brook Trout. Some fishing areas near Highlands are public and others are private fishing grounds. Fly Fishing is also a common activity in highlands/ There are also several rivers, including the Cullasaja River that begins in town, and the Chattooga River to the southeast.

Waterfalls

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

located in the Nantahala National Forest, northwest of Highlands. With a short curve of roadway located behind the falls, it has the distinction of being the only waterfall in the state that one can drive a vehicle behind. Bridal Veil Falls flows on a tributary of the Cullasaja River through the Nantahala National Forest. The falls flows over an overhanging bluff that allows visitors to walk behind the falls and remain dry when the waterflow is low. During periods of drought, the stream may nearly dry up, though visitors will get wet if the waterflow is moderate or high. Bridal Veil Falls is located on the side of

U.S. Highway 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...

northwest of town. Highway 64 originally used the curve of roadway behind the falls exclusively so that all traffic went behind them; however, this caused problems with icing of the roadway during freezing weather, and it was re-routed around the front of the falls since. There is a parking area on the side of the road, where visitors can park and view the falls as well. In 2003, a massive boulder slid off the left side of the falls, blocking that side of the drive-under completely. However, in July 2007, that boulder was removed by a local developer.

Cullasaja Falls

Cullasaja Falls is located on the Cullasaja River in the Nantahala National Forest and is part of the

. ''Cullasaja'' comes from a

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

word meaning " honey locust place". The falls is the last major waterfall on the Cullasaja River.Kevin Adams, ''North Carolina Waterfalls'', p. 470 The falls is a long cascade over the course of . The height of the falls is given as in Kevin Adams' book, ''North Carolina Waterfalls'' and by NCWaterfalls.com. However, Google Earth gives a height (based on the elevation of the water at the top of the falls and the elevation of the plunge pool at the bottom of the falls) of . The falls are located beside a series of blind curves on Highway 64 with sheer rock cliffs above and below the road. There is only one small pull-off near the falls, but walking on the road puts visitors in danger of being hit by a passing vehicle.

Dry Falls

Dry Falls, also known as Upper Cullasaja Falls, is a

in the Nantahala National Forest, northwest of Highlands on the Cullasaja River. It is part of a series of waterfalls on an stretch of the river that eventually ends with

Cullasaja Falls Cullasaja Falls ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

. Dry Falls flows over an overhanging bluff that allows visitors to walk up under the falls and remain relatively dry when the water flow is low, hence its name. The waterfall has also gone by other names, including High Falls, Pitcher Falls, and Cullasaja Falls.Kevin Adams, ''North Carolina Waterfalls'', p. 467 Dry Falls is located on the side of

, north of Highlands. There is a parking area on the side of the road, where visitors can park before walking the short path with stairs to the falls. During 2008-2009 the Forest Service made improvements to the parking area, which included renovation and expansion and the addition of bathroom facilities. A new walkway and overlook were also constructed adjacent to the parking area.

Quarry Falls

Quarry Falls (aka Bust Your Butt Falls) is a small

located beside US Highway 64 west of Highlands. It is best known for the large, deep pool at the bottom and is a popular place for swimming during warm weather. Also located here is a rock to climb and jump from into the deep pool. The waterfall is located about 10 miles from Franklin and 6.5 miles from Highlands.

Other waterfalls

* Glen Falls * Lower Cullasaja Falls * Quarry Falls * Silver Run Falls *

Secret Falls Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

* Scadin Falls * Kalakaleskies Falls(Sequoyah Dam Falls) * Whitewater Falls **

Upper Whitewater Falls Upper Whitewater Falls is a waterfall in North Carolina on the Whitewater River. As with most of North Carolina's waterfalls, it is in the mountainous area of the state. There is a cluster of falls in the area where the borders of Georgia and t ...

Lower Whitewater Falls Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also *Nizhny Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́� ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 1,072 people, 639 households, and 333 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 909 people, 445 households, and 253 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 150.0 people per square mile (57.9/km²). There were 1,713 housing units at an average density of 282.7 per square mile (109.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.46%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.11%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.88% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.97% of the population. There were 445 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.66. In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $31,964 versus $20,662 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $24,120. About 4.2% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Bil Dwyer William Michael "Bil" Dwyer (born March 30, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, game show host, actor, and writer. He is perhaps most well known as the host or play-by-play announcer on series such as ''BattleBots,'' ''I've Got a Secret'', an ...

, cartoonist and humorist (1907-1987) *

Richard Worley Jr. Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...

, (1953-2017), noted mega-fan and exponent of WUOG 90.5 Athens, the University of Georgia's student-run radio station

Nearby towns

* Scaly Mountain *

* Cashiers In Georgia * Sky Valley *

* Mountain City * Pine Mountain * Clayton

References

External links

Town of Highlands official website

Highlands Chamber of Commerce

"Highlands Historical Society" - a complete resource for local history"Highland Excursion" - US Forest Service Outfitter Guide Service
{{authority control Populated places established in 1875 Towns in Macon County, North Carolina Towns in Jackson County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina