Higgins, the youngest of three children of a doctor and a childcare centre operator, was raised in Melbourne, Victoria and attended Geelong Grammar School for her secondary education. She currently lives with her sister Nicola in Melbourne.poo's and wee's

She is a vegetarian, and in 2005 appeared in a marketing campaign for the animal rights group PETA promoting awareness of animal rights.

Higgins' sexuality was the subject of speculation due to the content of her lyrics; she does not use male or female pronouns to describe her partner during her concerts. In a October 19, 2007 interview with lesbian magazine Cherrie, under the headline "Missy Higgins on life, music and not being straight", when asked if she falls under the 'moniker' of ‘not-so-straight’ girls, she laughed and said, "Um, yeah, definitely". She then went on to say "I think sexuality is a fluid thing and it's becoming increasingly more acceptable to admit that you're that way", without elaborating on