Highland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Highland
Montclair
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Growth
73 · Top 12%
vs66 · Top 23%
Climate
90 · Top 5%
vs89 · Top 5%
Physical resilience
7 · Bottom 2%
vs7 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 13%
vs39 · Bottom 4%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs50 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Highland | Montclair | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,675 | 37,810 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,120 | $77,659 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,970 | $27,549 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,052/sq mi | 6,836/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $485,600 | $569,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,629 | $1,889 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.1% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 18.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.1% | 17.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 534 | 491 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 13.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 289.8% | 46.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 9.4" | 11.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.1 min | 32.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 33.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.70 | 22.72 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.4% | 85.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Highland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Montclair
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Highland, CA · Montclair, CA · How this is calculated: methodology