COUNTY REPORT FL

Highlands County, Florida

11 ZIP codes · Avg score 70/100 · Grade B · Updated

ZipCheckup grade for Highlands County: B.

This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.

Homeowners across Highlands County's 11 ZIP codes live with water safety scores that generally beat state and national averages.

How Highlands County Compares

Highlands County70/100
Florida avg80/100
National avg73/100

How Highlands County Compares

B
County Grade
70/100
Avg Safety Score
11
ZIP Codes
17
Water Systems

Highlands County scores 10 points below the Florida state average (80/100) and 3 points below the national average (73/100).

Data: ZipCheckup Home Safety Score model 4.0.0; EPA SDWIS, UCMR 5, EPA radon zones, EPA AirData Last verified:

B
County Grade
70
Avg Safety Score
11
ZIP Codes
Best ZIP: 33876 (81/100)
Lowest ZIP: 33875 (67/100)
$178K
Median Home Value
$1,640
Avg Remediation (92% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: Highlands County, Florida

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 16.6 (asthma 9.5%, diabetes 18.3%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $3,435, driven primarily by sea_level

45.8% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

Violation History (2021–2025)

↑ Worsening trend

EPA violation counts by year across Highlands County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.

2021
2 (2 health)
2022
1 (1 health)
2023
5 (5 health)
2024
10 (10 health)
2025
4 (4 health)

Peak year: 2024 with 10 violations. Past 5 years: 22 total (22 health-based). Health-based violations are rising versus the prior 2-year window - worth closer monitoring.

Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 9.5% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 18.3% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 36.7% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1988
Median Build Year
45.8%
Pre-1978 Housing
29/100
Infrastructure Stress Indicator
18%
ZIPs with High Infrastructure Stress
Moderate
Lead Pipe Risk

Modeled area-level indicator, not a failure probability. Sources: Census ACS housing age, EPA DWINS infrastructure needs, EPA SDWIS violations, and EPA lead indicators.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $3,435

Sea Level Rise $1,773/yr
Flood $1,100/yr
Wildfire $545/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

57,240 housing units in Highlands County

Pre-1940 2%
1940–1959 6%
1960–1979 25%
1980–1999 48%
2000+ 20%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Highlands County

$178K
Median Home Value
$1,640
Est. Remediation Cost
0.9%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value low burden

Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Highlands County, representing a small fraction of property value.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for Highlands County residents

Asthma 9.5% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 18.3% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 36.7% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water systems serving Highlands County

8 community water systems serving Highlands County.

Show all 8 water systems

17 total water systems serve Highlands County.

Systems with the most violations in Highlands County

5 water systems with recorded EPA violations.

All ZIP Codes in Highlands County

11 ZIP codes tracked in Highlands County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 33876 Sebring 81 B 4 $162K
2 33825 Avon Park 70 B 39 (6 health) $152K
3 33852 Lake Placid 70 B 30 (5 health) $206K
4 33870 Sebring 67 C 102 $154K
5 33872 Sebring 67 C 70 $194K
6 33875 Sebring 67 C 58 (4 health) $217K
7 33826 Avon Park
8 33857 Lorida 15 $132K
9 33862 Lake Placid
10 33871 Sebring
11 33960 Venus $206K

Recommended Buyer Guides for Highlands County

Designed to find the guide that fits the county, not the other way around - the system reads EPA detections, FEMA hazard layers, and CDC lead-exposure markers, then outputs the categories that resolve those specific risks for households here, with NSF-certified products surfaced when the matching contaminant appears in the local monitoring data.

Overview

Highlands County in Florida covers 11 tracked ZIP records with an average Home Safety Score of B (70/100) across 6 scored records.

7 of 7 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record have recorded EPA violations. 11 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.

← Back to Florida Home Safety Profile

Data Sources

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water safe in Highlands County?
Highlands County receives a grade of B, indicating generally safe tap water across its 11 ZIP codes.
How many water systems serve Highlands County?
Highlands County is served by 17 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 11 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in Highlands County?
The primary environmental risk factor in Highlands County is sea_level. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $3,435 per homeowner.
How old are homes in Highlands County?
The median home build year in Highlands County is 1988. 45.8% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.
How does Highlands County compare to Florida?
Highlands County has an average Home Safety Score of 70/100 under model 4.0.0, which is below the Florida state average of 80/100.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (2026). Highlands County, FL: HSS 70/100; 11 Health Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/county/florida/highlands/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-county-florida-highlands,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Highlands County, FL: HSS 70/100; 11 Health Violations}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/county/florida/highlands/}
}

Page version: August 2026.

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