Explore The Highlands, ID Real Estate & Lifestyle

Luxury villas are built into the hillside, where homeowners can see sweeping views of Boise's nature parks and city skyline. Even the streets were designed with the area's hilly topography in mind. The Highlands features 35 subdivisions, each offering a distinct design that breaks away from traditional cookie-cutter suburbs. As the Highlands continues to develop, there will be many community features, including a 6.5-acre common area, nature park, and community pool.

Dining, Shopping, & Entertainment

Living in the Highlands offers much more than fantastic views and seclusion, it also has easy access to fabulous amenities, including upscale restaurants and breweries. For many, brunch is one of the most sacred meals, and no place does brunch better than A’tavola. Located just minutes from the Highlands, A’tavola is an upscale breakfast and lunch restaurant with patio seating and a welcoming ambiance. Try the Snoqualmie Falls oatmeal for classic comfort food or one of their fresh seasonal salads. Another local restaurant known for its healthy food is Lulu’s Fine Pizza & Sushi, known for its exceptional sushi rolls and Hawaiian poke. They also serve some of Boise’s best New York-style pizza.

For a relaxed night out, check out the Highlands Hollow Brewhouse, a laidback brewhouse known for its housemade beers and fantastic menu. They have four beers always on tap and over a dozen rotating varieties of beer. Grab a pint or try new flavors with their flights.

Things to Do

Of the many reasons people choose to live in Highlands, one of the area’s greatest strengths is its easy access to outdoor recreational activities. No matter the time of year, chances are you will find many Highlands residents enjoying the great outdoors.

The Highlands is one of Boise’s most coveted foothills neighborhoods — a hillside enclave wrapped around Crane Creek Country Club, bordered by Hulls Gulch and Camel’s Back Reserve to the south and Hillside to Hollow Reserve to the north. Built on 160 acres of patented family land that developer Richard B. Smith broke ground on in 1955 — formerly known as Slaughterhouse Gulch — the neighborhood has grown into more than 35 distinct subdivisions and a population approaching 5,000, with Smith’s own family still selling real estate on the same ground five generations later. More than half a century after Boise’s first Parade of Homes was staged here on Crane Creek Road, the Highlands remains defined by sweeping valley views, privacy, and direct access to the Ridge to Rivers trail system.

The Highlands’ proximity to Crane Creek Country Club, Boise’s North End, and downtown — just a few miles away — keeps demand steady among buyers who want foothills privacy and panoramic views without sacrificing a short commute into the city’s urban core.

Types of Properties Available

Mid-Century and Original-Era Homes:
The original Highlands Unit, east of Bogus Basin Road and south of Curling Drive, holds the neighborhood’s concentration of 1950s and 1960s mid-century homes — Ranch-style and early modernist houses from the subdivision’s first phases. Current listings for these original-era homes typically run $700,000 to $900,000 for houses of roughly 2,000 to 2,400 square feet.

Golf Course and Crane Creek-Adjacent Homes:
Properties along the back nine of Crane Creek Country Club offer sweeping views of the golf course, surrounding foothills, and downtown Boise, representing some of the Highlands’ most sought-after and highest-priced addresses.

New Custom and Boutique Community Homes:
Developments like the Highlands Cove community, nestled in the North Foothills wrapping around Crane Creek Golf Course, and newly built custom homes by builders like Fortis Building Co. offer modern construction adjacent to Highlands Elementary, scenic foothill trails, and a direct route to the North End and downtown.

Large-Lot Estate Properties:
Larger parcels throughout the Highlands — some exceeding half an acre — provide expansive custom residences with multiple bedrooms, premium finishes, and direct foothills or valley views, representing the top tier of the neighborhood’s single-family inventory.

El Pelar Estates and Later-Phase Subdivisions:
Built from 1978 into the early 1990s between Cartwright Road and Simplot Hill, these later-phase Highlands subdivisions offer a mix of architectural styles reflecting the neighborhood’s decades of continuous development under Smith’s ongoing management into the early 2000s.

Recent Housing Market Data (2025 - 2026)

Median Home Price: As of recent reporting, the median home price in the Highlands has ranged from approximately $850,000 to $1.2 million depending on the specific month and data source, with the broader Foothills submarket (which includes the Highlands) carrying a median closer to $1.05 million to $1.18 million. Highest recorded sales have reached $2.6 million to $2.8 million for premier golf-course and view estates, while entry-level Highlands properties have traded as low as $310,000.

Market Conditions: The Highlands housing market is very competitive, scoring 82 out of 100 on Redfin’s Compete Score — among the hottest submarkets in the Boise metro — with homes recently selling in as few as 10 to 11 days in some reporting periods.

Days on Market: Timelines have varied meaningfully by cycle, from as quick as 10 to 11 days during peak demand periods up to 65 days in slower stretches, reflecting both the neighborhood’s desirability and the thin, lower-volume nature of its luxury inventory.

Price Trends: Median sale price per square foot has climbed sharply — up roughly 20% year-over-year in recent data — even as overall median sale price has shown some month-to-month volatility, reflecting a market where premium, view-oriented, and golf-course-adjacent homes continue to command strong buyer interest.

Buyer Demand: Strong among move-up buyers, foothills and outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts, golf-oriented buyers seeking Crane Creek Country Club proximity, and families drawn to Highlands Elementary and the neighborhood’s established, multi-generational community character.

Advantages of Owning a Home in The Highlands, Idaho

Owning a home in the Highlands means direct access to Crane Creek Country Club, the Ridge to Rivers trail system, and some of Boise’s most sweeping valley and foothills views, all within a few miles of downtown and the North End. The neighborhood’s decades-long development history — spanning mid-century ranch homes to newly built custom estates — gives buyers genuine architectural variety alongside the kind of multi-generational community continuity that’s increasingly rare in a rapidly growing Boise market. Strong historical appreciation, limited available land for new subdivisions, and sustained demand for foothills and trail-adjacent properties continue to support long-term property value.