Highlands Ranch,
rental market profile.

The typical rent in Highlands Ranch, CO is $2,559 a month, up 1.1% from a year earlier. The typical home is worth $689,007, down 1.5% from a year earlier. Owning that home costs about $2,229 more a month than renting it. See the rent or buy math.

Zillow data for September 2026, updated monthly.

Current market, September 2026.

Typical home value$689,007-1.5% vs. a year earlier
Typical rent$2,559+1.1% vs. a year earlier
Gross rent-to-value4.46%annual rent ÷ value
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-bed$2,169FY2027 · second-source check
Estimated annual property tax$3,5780.52% effective rate (ACS)

Data: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) and Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), September 2026; smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Typical values sit in the middle of the local market; rent covers houses and apartments. Updated monthly. Second source: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rent for Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA (40th-percentile gross rent, including utilities).

Five-year trend in Highlands Ranch.

Typical rent+14.7% since Sep 2021
$2,200$2,400$2,60020222023202420252026$2,559
Show the numbers
MonthTypical rent
Sep 2021$2,231
Sep 2022$2,372
Sep 2023$2,471
Sep 2024$2,574
Sep 2025$2,532
Sep 2026$2,559
Typical home value+6.5% since Sep 2021
$650,000$700,000$750,00020222023202420252026$689,007
Show the numbers
MonthTypical home value
Sep 2021$647,049
Sep 2022$726,033
Sep 2023$712,090
Sep 2024$719,305
Sep 2025$699,502
Sep 2026$689,007

Monthly Zillow Observed Rent Index and Home Value Index, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Each chart has its own scale, which does not start at zero, so small changes are visible.

Rent by number of bedrooms.

Studio
$1,751
1 bedroom
$1,831
2 bedrooms
$2,169
3 bedrooms
$2,846
4 bedrooms
$3,183

HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA: the 40th-percentile gross rent, utilities included, for the whole area. Rents inside Highlands Ranch can be higher or lower. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents.

Census profile, 2020–2024: population, income and long-run medians
Population102.3KACS estimate
Median household income$159,307annual
Median gross rent$2,531monthly
Median home value$712,700owner-occupied
Median property tax$3,701annual · owner-occupied
Effective tax reference0.52%median tax ÷ median value
State HO-3 premium$2,4922023 homeowner reference
Housing vacancy2.5%all housing units
Gross rent-to-value4.26%annual rent ÷ home value
Rent-to-income reference19.1%annual rent ÷ income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates. Estimates cover 2020–2024. Insurance context: NAIC 2023 Homeowners Insurance Report. Ratios are derived from area medians and are not a property cap rate, affordability decision, insurance quote or expected return.

How Highlands Ranch compares.

Highlands Ranch’s median gross rent is 43.7% above the Colorado median, while its median owner-occupied home value is 32.1% above the state reference. Median household income is 66.9% above the statewide estimate.

The gross rent-to-value reference is 4.26%. It simply annualizes the area’s median gross rent and divides it by the area’s median home value. It does not subtract vacancy, taxes, insurance, maintenance, management, financing or capital reserves.

Highlands Ranch baseline comparison
MetricCityHighlands RanchStateColoradoCountryUnited States
Median gross rent$2,531$1,761$1,413
Median home value$712,700$539,400$332,700
Household income$159,307$95,470$80,734
Median annual property tax$3,701$2,602$3,119
Housing vacancy2.5%8.3%10.1%
Rent vs baseline—+43.7%+79.1%

Test a Highlands Ranch baseline.

Load the area medians for purchase price, rent and annual property tax, then replace every assumption with property-specific figures and current quotes.

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Check the rent for a specific Highlands Ranch address.

Our figures are citywide typical rents. RentCast estimates the rent for one property from nearby rental comparables, so you can test the deal with a local figure.

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What this profile can—and cannot—tell you.

Use area data to compare markets before researching a specific address.

Useful for screening

Population, income, rent and home-value medians provide a consistent first comparison across markets.

Property facts still matter

Verify achievable rent, taxes, insurance, condition, financing and local rules for the exact property.

Vacancy needs context

The ACS figure covers all housing units. It is not the vacancy allowance to enter in rental underwriting.

Questions about Highlands Ranch.

What is the average rent in Highlands Ranch, CO?

The typical asking rent in Highlands Ranch, CO is $2,559 a month, according to Zillow's Observed Rent Index for September 2026, which covers houses and apartments. The Census Bureau's median gross rent for 2020–2024, which includes utilities and long-standing leases, is $2,531. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in the area is $2,169.

Is rent going up or down in Highlands Ranch?

Rent is rising. The typical rent is $2,559, up 1.1% from $2,532 a year earlier.

How much does a house cost in Highlands Ranch?

The typical home in Highlands Ranch, CO is worth $689,007, according to Zillow's Home Value Index for September 2026, down 1.5% from a year earlier.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Highlands Ranch?

Owning the typical home costs about $4,788 a month including the mortgage, property tax, insurance and upkeep, against $2,559 to rent it. Buying does not pull ahead within 30 years at current prices and rates in our model. See the full comparison.

What is the property tax rate in Highlands Ranch?

The effective property tax rate is about 0.52% of home value, based on Census data, or roughly $3,578 a year on the typical home. Actual bills depend on the assessment and any exemptions.

Is Highlands Ranch a good place to invest in rental property?

It depends on the property. As a first screen, a year of typical rent in Highlands Ranch equals 4.46% of the typical home value. Higher ratios leave more room for expenses and a mortgage; the 1% rule looks for about 12% a year. Test a specific property in the rental property calculator before you decide.