Highfield-Cascade, MD Area Profile

Highfield-Cascade, Maryland Area, MD

Cost of Living

A quick read on everyday affordability around Highfield-Cascade, with the main cost drivers separated for scanning.

Composite Index

95.8

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Cost of living summary
Metric	Value
Composite cost index	95.8
Grocery index	9.1
Housing index	8.6
Transportation index	7.2

What to Watch

Treat Highfield-Cascade as a very small-community market where monthly costs can behave differently from statewide averages.
Home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
Use Thurmont, MD as a same-state comparison point before treating one MD value as typical.

View Maryland cost of living report

Utilities

Monthly utility patterns and baseline household costs for power, water, gas, and fuel.

Electric Rate Consumption

Monthly electric index
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
22	28	34	45	62	74	48	56	67	82	61	57

Water Consumption

Monthly water index
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
66	48	44	36	30	26	34	37	33	55	49	58

Gas Rate (CCF)

Monthly gas index
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
28	36	43	52	61	47	55	63	49	45	52	57

Everyday utility costs
Metric	Value
Electricity rate	$0.359/kWh
Gasoline price	$3.28/gal
Water bill avg	$48/mo
Gas rate	$1.18/CCF

View Maryland utilities report

Demographics

Population, age mix, education, and income context for understanding the local community.

Population Age Pyramid

Age mix index
Age band	Male	Female
0-9	68	64
10-19	75	71
20-34	83	78
35-49	92	90
50-64	100	97
65-74	84	88
75+	72	79

Income Distribution

Income bracket index
Bracket	Index
Under $35k	72
$35k-$49k	88
$50k-$74k	100
$75k-$99k	79
$100k+	52

Annual Income Distribution

Median household$63,200

Per capita$33,900

Poverty rate9.8%

Community snapshot
Measure	Estimate
Population	1,079
Median age	38.1
Bachelor+	19.1%

Schools

School performance and classroom context in a compact local snapshot.

Test Score Trends

Test score trend
2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
42	48	51	57	59	64

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Utility Index

7.9

School snapshot
Indicator	Value
Math proficiency	53%
Reading proficiency	58%
Student-teacher ratio	14:1

Helpful Context

School comparisons around Highfield-Cascade are most useful when paired with district boundaries and commute patterns.
A single score rarely explains the full school picture for Highfield-Cascade; program fit and attendance zones matter too.
Nearby city pages can help separate Highfield-Cascade-specific signals from broader Maryland patterns.

Local Economy

A simple labor-market snapshot showing local job mix, wages, and workforce size.

Industry Job Types

Manufacturing31%

Agriculture26%

Healthcare19%

Retail14%

Other Services10%

Industry job mix
Industry	Share	Index
Manufacturing	31%	74
Agriculture	26%	64
Healthcare	19%	52
Retail	14%	39
Other Services	10%	31

Local economy snapshot
Metric	Value
Unemployment	4.4%
Median wage	$62,857
Labor force	264

Climate

Winter avg: 15 degrees F - Summer avg: 82 degrees F - Snowfall: 43 in

Local Takeaways

The job market is balanced enough to compare wages against nearby employment hubs for Highfield-Cascade and the surrounding Maryland labor market.
The median household income value is $62,857 when ACS data is available for this place.
Use the economy card with housing and taxes to judge whether Highfield-Cascade works for a specific household budget.

Real Estate

Home values, property taxes, and rental context in one housing-focused snapshot.

Median Home Value Trend

Median home value trend
2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
$154k	$161k	$172k	$181k	$186k	$189k

Property Tax Breakdown

County levy: 42%
School district: 34%
City/other: 24%

Housing and tax snapshot
Indicator	Value
Median home value	$225,600
Median property tax paid	$1,979
Estimated state sales tax rate	7.39%
Rent (2-bed)	$975/mo

View Maryland property tax report

Climate

A compact view of weather patterns and natural-risk context for the area.

Precipitation

31.5 in/year

Water Stress Index

Low

Avg High (Jul)82°F

Avg Low (Jan)8°F

Humidity72%

Climate Snapshot

Reference

Now--

Condition--

Wind--

Today--

Climate context is provided for planning and comparison.

Climate snapshot
Measure	Value
Sunny days	196
Annual snowfall	43 in
NOAA hazard risk score	Moderate

Planning Notes

Seasonal weather can change the practical cost picture in Highfield-Cascade, especially for heating, cooling, and maintenance.
Utility planning matters because electricity is a high-cost line item for households that use a lot of cooling or appliances.
Compare climate and insurance sections together before using Highfield-Cascade as a relocation shortlist.

Insurance

Location-based risk and cost pressure signals that can affect insurance pricing.

Risk IndexModerate

Weather RiskMedium

Cost PressureLow

Insurance summary
Indicator	Estimate
Insurance cost index	95
NOAA hazard risk score	Moderate
Primary local risk	Winter weather

What Affects Rates

Median property tax paid is $1,979, so taxes should be checked with insurance and mortgage assumptions.
Local claims history, coverage limits, deductibles, and property condition can outweigh broad MD averages.
Compare with Thurmont, MD for a broader read on Maryland insurance pressure.

View Maryland insurance report

Highfield-Cascade Facts

Quick facts for Highfield-Cascade that make this page easier to compare with other Maryland places.

Highfield-Cascade, MD facts
Fact	Value	Source context
Population	1,079	ACS place estimate
Median household income	$62,857	ACS household estimate
Median home value	$225,600	ACS housing estimate
Median age	38.1	ACS demographic estimate
Bachelor+ share	19.1%	ACS education estimate
Residential electric rate	$0.359/kWh	EIA state residential rate

Helpful Context

In Highfield-Cascade, home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
City-specific ACS values are used when the place matches; state-level API values fill statewide measures.
Use these facts as a fast MD screen before checking address-level records or provider quotes.

Highfield-Cascade Local Data Brief

This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Highfield-Cascade page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.

Highfield-Cascade, MD local metrics and source context
Metric	Value	How to read it
Population	1,079	Highfield-Cascade is treated as a very small-community place for comparison.
Median household income	$62,857	Income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching.
Median home value	$225,600	Home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
Median property tax paid	$1,979	Property tax should be read with mortgage, insurance, and home value.
Residential electric rate	$0.359/kWh	This is a state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility quote.
Unemployment	4.4%	This is a state-level BLS labor-market benchmark.
Median age	38.1	Age mix can affect housing demand, commute needs, and school planning.
Bachelor+ share	19.1%	Education mix can help frame labor-market and school-context questions.

Affordability Summary

Population is 1,079, so Highfield-Cascade should be compared with similar-size places before using broader Maryland averages. Median household income is $62,857, so the best affordability read for Highfield-Cascade is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.

Median home value is $225,600, so ownership costs in Highfield-Cascade should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is not available in the current cache, so renters can compare Highfield-Cascade against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.

Housing and Income Context

For Highfield-Cascade, income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching. Home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.

Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Highfield-Cascade looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Thurmont, MD.

Utility Cost Context

The residential electricity benchmark is $0.359/kWh, so Highfield-Cascade households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Highfield-Cascade is a Maryland state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.

For Highfield-Cascade, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.

Property Tax Context

Median property tax paid is $1,979, so Highfield-Cascade buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Highfield-Cascade address.

Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.

Insurance and Risk Context

Insurance costs in Highfield-Cascade depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.

Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Highfield-Cascade, especially when comparing with Thurmont, MD.

Population and Demographics

Median age is 38.1, so Highfield-Cascade may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 19.1%, so Highfield-Cascade education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.

Unemployment is 4.4%, so Highfield-Cascade wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.

Nearby Maryland comparison pages
Place	Population	Home value	Electric benchmark
Smithsburg, MD	3,069	$318k	$0.359/kWh
Cavetown, MD	909	$306k	$0.359/kWh
Thurmont, MD	6,439	$326k	$0.359/kWh
Emmitsburg, MD	2,855	$301k	$0.359/kWh

Source Notes

City-specific Census ACS values are used when a matching place row exists in the cached city metrics file.
Electricity and unemployment fields are state-level EIA and BLS benchmarks, so they are labeled as planning context rather than city quotes.
The page should be used as a comparison screen before checking provider rates, parcel records, insurance quotes, school boundaries, and address-level details for Highfield-Cascade.

Highfield-Cascade Cost Drill-Down

This dashboard keeps the fast local overview on one page, while the linked category reports go deeper into one decision at a time. For Highfield-Cascade, the strongest local signals in the current cache are population 1,079, median household income $62,857, median home value $225,600, rent --, property tax paid $1,979, and the Maryland residential electric benchmark $0.359/kWh.

Highfield-Cascade category drill-down links and metric context
Category	Primary value	Second value	Why it matters here
Cost of living	$62,857	$225,600	Highfield-Cascade affordability is mostly a housing-versus-income read: income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching and home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
Utility costs	$0.359/kWh	--	Highfield-Cascade utility planning should pair the Maryland electric benchmark with home size, cooling load, appliance use, and occupancy.
Property taxes	$1,979	$226k	Highfield-Cascade tax planning should compare the tax-paid field with home value, exemptions, assessment rules, and parcel-level records.
Insurance costs	38.1	19.1%	Highfield-Cascade insurance context should be read with housing age, replacement cost, roof condition, claim history, and nearby risk patterns.

Budget Fit

Highfield-Cascade should be read as a very small-community place where income, home value, rent, taxes, utilities, and insurance need to be checked together. Income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching, and home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.

Monthly Bills

The electricity value on this page is a Maryland state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility tariff. For Highfield-Cascade, that benchmark becomes useful when paired with home square footage, cooling load, HVAC age, insulation, and household usage.

Ownership Costs

Median property tax paid is $1,979 and median home value is $225,600. That makes the ownership read stronger than a single price estimate because taxes, insurance, maintenance, and financing terms can move the real monthly cost.

Comparison Angle

Use Thurmont, MD as a local comparison before using a broad MD average. The nearby table below keeps the comparison tied to home value, taxes, and electric benchmarks instead of alphabetical city links.

Labor and Demographics

Unemployment is 4.4%, median age is 38.1, and bachelor-plus share is 19.1%. These fields help frame school demand, commute patterns, wage fit, and service-provider availability around Highfield-Cascade.

Source Discipline

City-specific ACS values are used where the place matches the cache. State-level EIA and BLS fields are labeled as benchmarks, so this page does not pretend those values are address-level or city-utility quotes.

Nearby comparison context for Highfield-Cascade
Place	Distance	Home value	Property tax	Electric benchmark
Smithsburg, MD	6 mi	$318k	$2,801	$0.359/kWh
Cavetown, MD	7 mi	$306k	$2,239	$0.359/kWh
Thurmont, MD	8 mi	$326k	$3,295	$0.359/kWh
Emmitsburg, MD	9 mi	$301k	$3,112	$0.359/kWh
Paramount-Long Meadow, MD	11 mi	$340k	$3,095	$0.359/kWh

Data Freshness

This Highfield-Cascade, Maryland dashboard was generated on 2026-06-18. The city metrics cache was refreshed on 2026-06-16; the nearby-city coordinate cache was refreshed on 2026-06-17.

City metrics: Census ACS place fields are city-specific where a matching place record exists.
State benchmarks: EIA electricity and BLS unemployment values are state-level context, not city provider tariffs or city labor surveys.
Nearby comparisons: Distance uses cached Census Gazetteer place coordinates when available.

Compare Nearby Cities

Enter another Maryland city or ZIP code, or start with one of the nearby places below.

Smithsburg, MD

Use Smithsburg, MD as a comparison point for housing, utilities, taxes, and local cost signals. Population is 3,069, home value is $318k, and the electric benchmark is $0.359/kWh.

Distance: 6 mi
Best for: Distance-based comparison

City page

Cavetown, MD

Use Cavetown, MD as a comparison point for housing, utilities, taxes, and local cost signals. Population is 909, home value is $306k, and the electric benchmark is $0.359/kWh.

Distance: 7 mi
Best for: Distance-based comparison

City page

Thurmont, MD

Use Thurmont, MD as a comparison point for housing, utilities, taxes, and local cost signals. Population is 6,439, home value is $326k, and the electric benchmark is $0.359/kWh.

Distance: 8 mi
Best for: Distance-based comparison

City page

Emmitsburg, MD

Use Emmitsburg, MD as a comparison point for housing, utilities, taxes, and local cost signals. Population is 2,855, home value is $301k, and the electric benchmark is $0.359/kWh.

Distance: 9 mi
Best for: Regional context

City page

Paramount-Long Meadow, MD

Use Paramount-Long Meadow, MD as a comparison point for housing, utilities, taxes, and local cost signals. Population is 2,660, home value is $340k, and the electric benchmark is $0.359/kWh.

Distance: 11 mi
Best for: Regional context

City page

Robinwood, MD

Use Robinwood, MD as a comparison point for housing, utilities, taxes, and local cost signals. Population is 7,822, home value is $325k, and the electric benchmark is $0.359/kWh.

Distance: 11 mi
Best for: Regional context

City page

Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, MD

Use Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, MD as a comparison point for housing, utilities, taxes, and local cost signals. Population is 6,364, home value is $322k, and the electric benchmark is $0.359/kWh.

Distance: 12 mi
Best for: Regional context

City page

Regional Data Explorer

Zoom out from Highfield-Cascade to nearby cities, Maryland Area, and Maryland benchmarks.

Open Explorer

Nearby Cities Maryland Hub Maryland Cost Benchmarks

Benchmark Preview

Highfield-Cascade 95.8

Home value: $189k
Property tax: $2,190
Electric rate: $0.154/kWh

County Avg 97.4

Home value: $178k
Property tax: $2,240
Electric rate: $0.158/kWh

MD Avg 101.2

Home value: $286k
Property tax: $3,180
Electric rate: $0.162/kWh

Local Service Cost Guides

Use these contractor-cost guides with the Highfield-Cascade dashboard to compare local housing, utility, tax, climate, and repair-cost context.

Plumber Rates for Highfield-Cascade $85-$165/hr planning range. Leak, drain, fixture, water heater, and emergency plumbing cost planning. Opens the deepest available state guide for Highfield-Cascade, Maryland. Open state guide HVAC Installation for Highfield-Cascade $5,500-$14,500 planning range. AC, furnace, heat pump, ductwork, and seasonal system replacement planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Highfield-Cascade, Maryland. Open national guide Roof Replacement for Highfield-Cascade $8,000-$24,000 planning range. Roof replacement, leak repair, flashing, ventilation, and storm-exposure planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Highfield-Cascade, Maryland. Open national guide Electrician Rates for Highfield-Cascade $90-$175/hr planning range. Panel, outlet, EV charger, lighting, wiring, and inspection cost planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Highfield-Cascade, Maryland. Open national guide

Data note: City-profile values are local estimates for comparison and planning context.