The Town Files

North Highlands, California

Community in Sacramento County · population 49,327 (2020 Census)

Map: where North Highlands is in CaliforniaNorth Highlands
Median home
$367,600
Household income
$65,495
Jan low / Jul high
41° / 94°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
34.2

North Highlands is a community of 49,327 people in Sacramento County, California. The median home is worth $367,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 88% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 81% of California towns, more walkable than 71% of California towns.

How North Highlands ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

North Highlands lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement12th pctFamilies26th pctQuiet11th pctWalkability71st pctFirst-time buyers81st pctYoung professionals37th pctVibrancy88th pctHip & trendy52nd pctCollege town56th pctUpscale20th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling65th pctTransit63rd pctDriving54th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in North Highlands is worth $367,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $65,495, which is more affordable than 64% of California towns. Median rent is $1,636 a month. 51.1% of households own their home.

North Highlands vs Sacramento County vs typical California townNorth HighlandsSacramento CountyTypical California townHome value$367,600$534,200$596,900Household income$65,495$92,175$91,557Monthly rent$1,636$1,790$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingNorth HighlandsTypical California town
Median home value$367,600$596,900
Median rent$1,636$1,827
Median household income$65,495$91,557
Home value ÷ income5.6×6.4×
Homeownership51.1%67.4%
Median year built19711977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in North Highlands

PeopleNorth HighlandsTypical California town
Median age34.240.2
Age 65 and over12.1%17.7%
Under 1826.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.3%27.7%
Below the poverty line19.6%10.3%
Veterans5.6%—
Born outside the U.S.28.7%—
Work from home12.5%13.4%
Average commute30.7 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband92.0%93.3%

Weather in North Highlands

July highs average 94.4°F and January lows 41.1°F. About 19.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 90 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 4 nights at or below freezing.

North Highlands monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°57°41°Jan62°44°Feb68°47°Mar74°49°Apr81°54°May89°59°Jun94°61°Jul94°61°Aug89°59°Sep79°53°Oct65°45°Nov56°41°DecPrecipitation (in)3.93.62.81.40.90.20.00.00.10.91.83.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Sacramento 5 Ese station (8.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Highlands since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on February 7, 1978 about 4.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 11, 2017.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of North Highlands by decade01950s01960s21970s31980s11990s32000s32010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on October 2, 2016.

Severe weather in Sacramento County since 1996

Storm events in Sacramento County since 1996 by typeHail8Flood163Tornado12Lightning1Heavy Rain29Flash Flood9Funnel Cloud7Thunderstorm Wind7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Sacramento County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Sacramento County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in Sacramento County

Sacramento County had 726,937 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $80,125 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in North Highlands itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.

Largest industries in Sacramento CountyHealth care & social assistan…122,313 jobs · $70,286Retail60,902 jobs · $43,927Hotels & restaurants56,033 jobs · $30,141Construction45,496 jobs · $86,710Professional & technical serv…41,507 jobs · $130,718Administrative & support41,330 jobs · $56,380
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Sacramento County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Sacramento 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in North Highlands

14 public schools with 7,649 students, about 21.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Community Outreach Academy (charter)K-121,79722.5
Highlands High9-1275418.0
Madison ElementaryK-674526.6
Creative Connections Arts Academy (charter)K-1270521.4
Community Collaborative Charter (charter)K-1269916.6
Oakdale ElementaryK-854722.8
Frederick Joyce ElementaryK-851323.3
Village ElementaryK-845626.8
Warren A. Allison ElementaryK-638922.9
Kohler ElementaryK-837422.0
Sierra View ElementaryK-628423.7
Hillsdale ElementaryK-623619.7

Towns near North Highlands

North Highlands questions

Is North Highlands, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, North Highlands scores better for retirees than 12% of California towns and quieter than 11%. 12.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.2).

How much does a house cost in North Highlands?

The median owner-occupied home in North Highlands is valued at $367,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,495, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $1,636 a month.

What is the weather like in North Highlands?

July highs average 94.4°F and January lows 41.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does North Highlands get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Highlands since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on February 7, 1978. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to North Highlands's Census boundary (GEOID 0651924). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.