What towns does this plateau market cover?

The Cashiers–Highlands plateau primarily covers Cashiers, Highlands, Sapphire, and Glenville, along with the surrounding gated communities in southern Jackson and Macon counties.

Is Cashiers or Highlands more expensive?

Both are premium markets. Pricing depends far more on community, club membership, elevation, and view than on the town itself — comparable homes can trade similarly in either. A local broker can benchmark specific communities for you.

What's the difference between buying in a private club vs. outside one?

Club communities such as Wade Hampton, Trillium, and Highlands Falls include membership, amenities, and HOA structures that affect both price and carrying costs. Properties outside clubs offer more flexibility and often lower fees. We help buyers weigh both.

Are there cabins and getaway properties, or just estate homes?

Both. The plateau has everything from modest cabins and cottages ideal for seasonal use to large estate homes. Inventory shifts seasonally, so it's worth setting up a saved search.

Can I buy land and build on the plateau?

Yes. Buildable homesites are available across Cashiers and Highlands. Before purchasing land, confirm buildable acreage, well/septic feasibility, road access, and any club or HOA building requirements — our team helps vet these.

Do you work with out-of-state and seasonal buyers?

Absolutely. Much of the plateau market is second-home and relocation buyers from across the Southeast. We guide remote buyers through search, showings, and closing.

High Hampton Resort

CASHIERS & HIGHLANDS NC REAL ESTATE

Homes for Sale in Cashiers & Highlands, NC

The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau — a high country of waterfalls, lakes, and legendary private clubs, and one of the Southeast's premier luxury mountain markets.

The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau

Cashiers and Highlands anchor a high plateau in the far southwest of North Carolina's mountains, about 10 miles apart along Highway 64. Cashiers sits near 3,500 feet in southern Jackson County, built around a historic village Crossroads and the 26-mile shoreline of Lake Glenville. Highlands rises to 4,118 feet in Macon County, one of the highest incorporated towns east of the Mississippi, with a walkable Main Street of galleries, dining, and the Highlands Playhouse. Both are seasonal luxury markets with deep roots, and much of the best inventory trades quietly within the community.

Whiteside Mountain

The Cashiers & Highlands Real Estate Market

Homes for Sale in Cashiers • Cabins & Cottages in Cashiers • Luxury & Golf Community Homes on the Plateau • Lake Glenville & Lakefront Homes • Homes for Sale in Highlands • Cabins for Sale in Highlands • All Cashiers-Area Listings • All Highlands-Area Listings

Cashiers & Highlands NC Market Data

The plateau is a luxury market on both ends. In Cashiers, the median home price runs near $925,000 with an average value around $1.35 million — up roughly 6% year over year — and top sales pushing past $11 million. Highlands sits at the premium end, with recent median sale prices into the seven figures and a broad average value in the mid-$800,000s. Across both towns, property for sale ranges from plateau cabins and cottages in the several-hundred-thousands to homes inside clubs like Mountaintop, Wade Hampton, Trillium, Cullasaja, and Highlands Country Club, up to custom lakefront and estate homes approaching and exceeding eight figures. Resale inventory is limited and new construction is constrained by steep terrain and zoning, so well-priced homes move quickly — which is exactly where local knowledge and relationships pay off.

Plateau Highlights

The plateau is defined by water, rock, and culture. Whitewater Falls drops 411 feet — among the tallest east of the Rockies — while Lake Glenville offers boating and fishing along 26 miles of shoreline. Whiteside Mountain's loop crosses the Eastern Continental Divide, and the Cullasaja Gorge near Highlands holds Dry Falls and old-growth forest. In town, Cashiers' historic Crossroads and Highlands' walkable Main Street anchor dining, shopping, galleries, and the Highlands Playhouse. Private golf and lake clubs — Mountaintop, Wade Hampton, Trillium, Cullasaja, Highlands Country Club, and Wildcat Cliffs — give the market its luxury character.

Schools, Healthcare & Education

The plateau is served by well-regarded schools including Blue Ridge School, Summit Charter School, and Highlands School. Highlands-Cashiers Hospital provides hospital-level care central to both towns, and Southwestern Community College and Western Carolina University are within reach for continuing education. For mountain communities of their size, Cashiers and Highlands offer an unusually strong combination of schools, healthcare, and cultural amenities.

Lake Glenville

Cashiers & Highlands Real Estate FAQs

COMMON QUESTIONS

The plateau is a luxury market on both ends. In Cashiers, the median home price runs near $925,000 with an average value around $1.35 million (up roughly 6% year over year) and top sales pushing past $11 million. Highlands sits at the premium end, with recent median sale prices into the seven figures and a broad average value in the mid-$800,000s. Across both towns, inventory ranges from plateau cabins and cottages in the several-hundred-thousands to custom estates inside clubs that sell well past eight figures — the right price point depends on the community and the kind of property that fits your goals.

For buyers who value privacy, cool summers, and natural beauty, exceptionally so. Cashiers offers waterfalls, Lake Glenville, and a quiet village Crossroads, while Highlands adds a walkable Main Street of galleries, fine dining, and the Highlands Playhouse — both at elevations that stay comfortable when the lowlands turn hot. The plateau has long been a seasonal community, though a growing number of buyers now live here year-round. The tradeoffs to weigh are mountain living itself — elevation, winter access, and rural infrastructure — which we help every buyer understand before purchasing.

Cashiers and Highlands sit on a high plateau in the far southwest of North Carolina's mountains — Cashiers at about 3,500 feet in southern Jackson County, and Highlands at 4,118 feet in Macon County, one of the highest towns in the eastern U.S. The two villages are about 10 miles apart along Highway 64, and both are roughly a two-hour drive from Asheville and Atlanta — a big part of their appeal to second-home buyers.

The plateau is built for the outdoors and for culture. Hike Whiteside Mountain along the Eastern Continental Divide, see 411-foot Whitewater Falls, and boat or fish on Lake Glenville with its 26 miles of shoreline. In town, Highlands' walkable Main Street anchors galleries, fine dining, and the Highlands Playhouse, while Cashiers' historic Crossroads offers dining, shopping, and village events — and private golf and lake clubs round out the lifestyle, making the area a favorite for summer residents and full-time buyers alike.

At 3,500 to 4,100-plus feet, Cashiers and Highlands run cooler and snowier than the valleys near Asheville or Waynesville. Expect real snow and cold snaps from December through February, and note that higher-elevation and private-community roads can hold ice longer than village streets. For many buyers that's part of the character: crisp mountain winters and quiet off-seasons, followed by the cool, comfortable summers the plateau is famous for. We help buyers weigh elevation and winter access carefully, since conditions shift noticeably from one community to the next.

More than almost anywhere in the mountains, yes. Plateau inventory is limited, much of it trades quietly within clubs and through relationships, and pricing varies enormously by elevation, view, and community across both Cashiers and Highlands. A local agent who knows the plateau can surface properties before they hit the open market and help you understand what you're really buying — reach out to our team to get started.

Whitewater Falls

CASHIERS & HIGHLANDS NC REAL ESTATE

Homes for Sale in Cashiers & Highlands, NC

The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau

The Cashiers & Highlands Real Estate Market

Cashiers & Highlands NC Market Data

Plateau Highlights

Schools, Healthcare & Education

Cashiers & Highlands Real Estate FAQs

COMMON QUESTIONS

What is the average home price in Cashiers and Highlands, NC?

Is the Highlands-Cashiers plateau a good place to live?

Where are Cashiers and Highlands, NC located?

What is there to do in Cashiers and Highlands?

What are winters like on the plateau?

Do I need a local realtor to buy in Cashiers or Highlands?