Highland Beach is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Florida. With a population of 4,264 people and two associated neighborhoods, Highland Beach is the 298th largest community in Florida. Highland Beach home prices are not only among the most expensive in Florida, but Highland Beach real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.Highland Beach is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 96.85% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Highland Beach is a town of managers, professionals, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Highland Beach who work in management occupations (33.59%), sales jobs (16.84%), and office and administrative support (9.01%). Of important note, Highland Beach is also a town of artists. Highland Beach has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Highland Beach’s character. A relatively large number of people in Highland Beach telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 37.65% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. Another notable thing is that Highland Beach is a major vacation destination. Much of the town’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Highland Beach’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live. In addition, Highland Beach is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums. Highland Beach’s overall crime rate ranks among the lowest in the nation, making it a very safe place to live. Highland Beach is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery. If knowledge is power, Highland Beach is a pretty powerful place. 74.20% of the adults in Highland Beach have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns. The per capita income in Highland Beach in 2022 was $144,249, which is wealthy relative to Florida and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $576,996 for a family of four. Highland Beach is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Highland Beach home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Highland Beach residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Highland Beach include Italian, German, Irish, Russian, and English. Foreign born people are also an important part of Highland Beach's cultural character, accounting for 15.18% of the town’s population. The most common language spoken in Highland Beach is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and French.
