19 Things to Know BEFORE Moving to Highlands Ranch, CO

I'm Brian Lee Burke, and I've been a REALTOR since 2003. If Highlands Ranch is on your list, this is what I'd want a friend to know before buying here.

Highlands Ranch is a master-planned community in northern Douglas County, between C-470 and the open land to the south. It has more people than most Colorado cities, four HRCA recreation centers, an 8,200-acre wilderness area and a market that sold about 1,150 homes in the last year. It also isn't a city, every home belongs to the HRCA, and very few homes are for sale at any one time. Every number below is MLS data I pulled on October 29, 2026.

Chapters

1. Highlands Ranch Is Bigger Than Most Colorado Cities
2. It's Not a City: The County, the Metro District and HRCA
3. What Homes Actually Sell For in Highlands Ranch
4. Where Highlands Ranch Prices Fall
5. Very Few Homes Are for Sale at Once
6. Most Homes Were Built in the 1990s
7. Newest Listings in Highlands Ranch
8. Every Home Pays the HRCA
9. Property Taxes Are Fairly Even, With Exceptions
10. Highlands Ranch Water Supplies the Water
11. C-470, Santa Fe and No Light Rail Station
12. Town Center and the Mansion
13. 70+ Miles of Trails and an 8,200-Acre Wilderness Area
14. There's a Hospital Inside Highlands Ranch
15. Look Up School Boundaries by Address
16. Expansive Soils and Radon Are Front Range Facts
17. A 1990s Home Needs a 1990s Inspection
18. Selling Before You Buy? Start With Your Number
19. Blogs About Highlands Ranch
20. Highlands Ranch Questions I Hear Most

Highlands Ranch Is Bigger Than Most Colorado Cities

The 2020 Census counted 103,444 people in Highlands Ranch. The Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey estimate is 99,056, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4,920. Either way, it's larger than most Colorado cities.

Growth here is mostly done. The first residents moved in in 1981, and the community is close to built out, which is a big reason so few homes come up for sale.

It's Not a City: The County, the Metro District and HRCA

Highlands Ranch is unincorporated. There's no mayor or city council. Douglas County handles planning and zoning. The Highlands Ranch Metro District, run by an elected seven-member board, manages parks, trails, open space and the Mansion. The Highlands Ranch Community Association (HRCA) is the master HOA and runs the four recreation centers and the Backcountry Wilderness Area.

When you have a question about a fence, a park or a road, knowing which of the three to call saves time.

What Homes Actually Sell For in Highlands Ranch

Asking prices and sold prices tell different stories. I only trust what actually closed.

261 of those 1,156 homes (about 23%) sold above their last list price, and 172 (about 15%) sold for less than 97% of it. By ZIP, 80126 had 531 sales at a median of $765,000, 80130 had 307 at $687,500, and 80129 had 317 at $670,000.

Where Highlands Ranch Prices Fall

Almost half of Highlands Ranch's sales land between $500,000 and $750,000. Here's the split for the last 12 months, next to what's for sale on October 29, 2026.

Over $1 million, only 20 homes were for sale against about 17 sales a month. That's a thin market for buyers in that range.

Very Few Homes Are for Sale at Once

On October 29, 2026, Highlands Ranch had 225 homes for sale and another 75 under contract or pending. With about 96 sales a month over the last year, that's a little over two months of supply. The average home for sale had been listed 65 days, at an average list price of $718,000.

My advice: get pre-approved and set an alert before you start touring, so you see new listings the day they hit.

Most Homes Were Built in the 1990s

Of the 225 homes for sale on October 29, 2026, 164 were single-family homes, 26 were townhomes and 35 were condos. None were marked new construction, and none sat on an acre or more. The median home sold in the last year had 4 bedrooms, about 2,500 square feet and a 0.15-acre lot.

Census data puts the median year built at 1997, and 18,244 of about 39,550 homes were built in the 1990s. See Highlands Ranch townhomes, condos and one-story homes.

Newest Listings in Highlands Ranch

These are Highlands Ranch homes listed in the last seven days. The list updates itself.

Every Home Pays the HRCA

Every privately owned property in the HRCA is a member. The 2026 assessment is $174 a quarter, or $696 a year, which covers the four recreation centers (Northridge, Eastridge, Westridge and Southridge) and HRCA programs. A few neighborhoods, including Gleneagles Village, The Retreat, The Villages and Palomino Park, pay only the administrative portion.

Many neighborhoods also have their own sub-association with separate dues and rules. Ask for both sets of documents. See my guide to Highlands Ranch sub-associations and HRCA rec centers and neighborhood checks.

Property Taxes Are Fairly Even, With Exceptions

For tax year 2025, the most common Highlands Ranch total is 98.821 mills, including 12.250 mills for the Highlands Ranch Metro District. Other tax areas range from 94.786 to 107.621 mills. The big exception is the Hunting Hill Metro District area, at 163.478.

On a $700,000 Assessor value, the common rate works out to about $4,580 a year, and the Hunting Hill area to about $7,410. Check the exact parcel at the Douglas County Assessor, and read my Highlands Ranch property tax guide.

Highlands Ranch Water Supplies the Water

Water and wastewater come from Highlands Ranch Water, the district formerly called Centennial Water and Sanitation District. Bills come from the district, not a city.

Ask the seller for a year of water bills, especially for homes with large irrigated yards.

C-470, Santa Fe and No Light Rail Station

C-470 runs along the north edge, Santa Fe Drive along the west and I-25 to the east, with Broadway and University Boulevard running north and south through the community.

There's no light rail station inside Highlands Ranch. The closest are Littleton–Mineral, County Line and Lincoln. RTD Route 402L runs along Highlands Ranch Parkway between Littleton–Mineral and County Line, and Link On Demand, a free ride service, covers Highlands Ranch Monday through Saturday. Drive your real commute from the actual address at rush hour before you commit.

Town Center and the Mansion

Highlands Ranch Town Center and Civic Green Park host community events through the year. The Highlands Ranch Mansion at 9950 E. Gateway Drive dates to 1891. The Metro District has owned it since 2010 and reopened it to the public in 2012.

Highlands Ranch is spread out, so whether you can walk to shops depends on the address. See Highlands Ranch walkable homes.

70+ Miles of Trails and an 8,200-Acre Wilderness Area

The Metro District manages 26 parks, more than 70 miles of trails and 2,644 acres of open space. It also maintains about seven miles of the High Line Canal Trail through the community.

The HRCA owns the 8,200-acre Backcountry Wilderness Area on the south side, with 26 miles of trail open to HRCA members and their guests. See Highlands Ranch homes near trails.

There's a Hospital Inside Highlands Ranch

UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital, at 1500 Park Central Drive, opened in 2019. AdventHealth Littleton is just north at 7700 S. Broadway.

If you see a specialist regularly, check drive time from the address you're considering.

Look Up School Boundaries by Address

Highlands Ranch is served by Douglas County School District RE-1, and the district's levies, 45.528 mills, are the largest piece of the property tax bill. Attendance boundaries follow the address, not the neighborhood name or ZIP code.

Use the district's school locator for the exact address before you go under contract.

Expansive Soils and Radon Are Front Range Facts

The Colorado Geological Survey has mapped claystone bedrock and highly swelling clay soils across north-central Douglas County. Colorado sellers must disclose known soil conditions, so read the disclosure closely.

The EPA places Douglas County in Radon Zone 1, its highest category. I'd test for radon during every inspection period.

A 1990s Home Needs a 1990s Inspection

With most homes built in the 1990s, many original roofs, furnaces, water heaters, windows and sewer lines are at or past their expected life. Ask for the age of each system, get a sewer scope, and budget for updates the inspection turns up.

Exterior changes like paint colors, fences and additions need HRCA approval. Check the rules before you plan a project.

Selling Before You Buy? Start With Your Number

Many Highlands Ranch buyers are also selling. Your equity sets your budget, your timing and whether you can make an offer without a sale contingency. I'd get your home's value first, then plan the move. Selling here? See selling a home in Highlands Ranch.

Blogs About Highlands Ranch

• Highlands Ranch Housing Market Report: October 2026
• Highlands Ranch HOA Guide: What HRCA Includes
• BackCountry Highlands Ranch: Homes, HOA Fees and Daily Life
• Highlands Ranch Trails Guide: Ridgeline & Sunrise Routes
• Civic Green Park & Town Center
• Highlands Ranch Commute: Travel Times and Transit Gaps
• Downsizing in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
• 19 Things to Know BEFORE Moving to Parker, CO

More Highlands Ranch guides on our site: Highlands Ranch area guide, neighborhoods guide, real estate statistics and Highlands Ranch vs Castle Rock.

Highlands Ranch Questions I Hear Most

Are You Moving to Highlands Ranch?

One honest note: Highlands Ranch is a large, nearly built-out suburb, and every home comes with HRCA covenants. Of the 225 homes for sale on October 29, 2026, only one had no HOA fee, and none sat on an acre. If you want no HOA or land, look elsewhere.

If Highlands Ranch is on your list, I'd love to help. Call or text my office at 303-955-4220, or send us a message, and we'll pull the taxes, HOA, water and boundary details for any address you're looking at.