Population 6,198 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Back Central
Household size in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.78 | 2.64 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.80 | 2.73 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.76 | 2.74 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.73 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.21 | +0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Back Central run a little small, averaging 2.57 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.78 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.9 | 34.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.1 | 34.8 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.4 | 35.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.9 | 35.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.0 | +1.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Back Central are younger than 40.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in Lowell overall, where the median age is 35.4. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.9, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.6% | 18.7% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 17.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 17.2% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 17.8% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −9.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Back Central (14.4%), above the national share of 11.6%. Even so, single parents are less common here than in Lowell as a whole (17.8%). The single-parent share is down 9.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Back Central
Renters in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.5% | 50.2% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 76.8% | 55.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 78.1% | 57.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 71.8% | 56.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Back Central rent: 71.8% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Nearly two-thirds of owners (63.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 1.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 10.1% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 8.6% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 7.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | −4.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Back Central than nationally: 7.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Even so, the rate is higher than in Lowell as a whole (5.3%). Vacancy has fallen 7.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1940 | 1949 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1940 | 1949 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1940 | 1949 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1949 | 1953 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Back Central is a place of older homes: half were built before 1949, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1940 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $850 | $913 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $923 | $981 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,082 | $1,158 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,443 | $1,628 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$593 | +$715 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Back Central costs $1,443 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $593 a month from 2006–10, a 70% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Back Central
Bachelor's degrees in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 22.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 21.3% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 23.6% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 29.2% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +7.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Back Central have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.6% | 77.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 67.9% | 78.2% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 71.5% | 81.8% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 69.4% | 82.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +5.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About three in ten adults in Back Central never finished high school, well above the national share: only 69.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 2.7 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Back Central
| Period | Back Central | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 8.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 11.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 6.1% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 5.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Back Central: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is up 0.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Back Central compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Central | 2.57 | 40.9 | 14.4% | 71.8% | 7.5% | 1949 | $1,443 | 13.3% | 69.4% | 7.5% |
| Downtown Lowell | 1.92 | 35.2 | 10.1% | 78.9% | 6.3% | 1946 | $1,544 | 47.1% | 86.7% | 5.1% |
| South Lowell | 2.82 | 35.0 | 20.2% | 48.1% | 3.9% | 1966 | $1,758 | 25.0% | 85.5% | 4.3% |
| Belvidere | 2.65 | 38.8 | 14.6% | 41.2% | 3.0% | 1957 | $1,522 | 40.6% | 88.6% | 6.2% |
| The Acre | 2.04 | 28.7 | 15.9% | 80.3% | 8.4% | 1952 | $1,215 | 31.6% | 80.7% | 4.7% |
| Centralville | 2.93 | 33.2 | 29.8% | 51.9% | 3.8% | 1942 | $1,741 | 20.4% | 83.1% | 8.4% |
| Highlands | 2.95 | 36.2 | 16.1% | 58.8% | 5.1% | 1945 | $1,708 | 28.4% | 78.2% | 5.9% |
| Pawtucketville | 2.93 | 36.3 | 14.6% | 45.0% | 6.0% | 1971 | $1,671 | 32.1% | 87.7% | 2.6% |
| Mt Vernon Park | 2.75 | 44.0 | 12.6% | 28.1% | 4.5% | 1961 | $1,615 | 22.4% | 77.7% | 1.2% |
| Frye Circle | 2.20 | 45.6 | 5.0% | 33.3% | 10.3% | 1951 | $1,948 | 67.9% | 94.6% | 4.4% |
| Southeast Nashua | 2.27 | 35.5 | 12.2% | 60.8% | 6.3% | 1969 | $1,830 | 42.5% | 94.6% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Jacksonville Farms-Terrace, Jacksonville, FL · Pecan Valley, San Antonio, TX · Rabbit Creek, Anchorage, AK · Greenville, Scarsdale, NY · Amphi, Tucson, AZ · Palm City, San Diego, CA · Osgood, Fargo, ND · Oakland, Chicago, IL · Country Squire Estates, West Valley City, UT · Cedar Park, Seattle, WA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Back Central. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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