Population 137 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Highland Center
Household size in Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.18 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.19 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.18 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Highland Center is a place of small households, averaging 2.18 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.5 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 56.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.7 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 57.7 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.2 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Highland Center skews older: half of its residents are older than 57.7, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 47.5 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.5% of households in Highland Center, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Highland Center
Renters in Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.1% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.2% of households in Highland Center rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly six in ten owners (56.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.4% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Highland Center than nationally: 6.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
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 Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1947 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +22 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Highland Center run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. Iowa as a whole looks much the same.
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 Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $833 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $843 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $796 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $821 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$11 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Highland Center costs $821 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 15.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Highland Center
Bachelor's degrees in Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.1% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.3% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Highland Center have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.9%, against 35.6% 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 Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.0% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.7% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.5% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Highland Center: 94.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Iowa.
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 Highland Center
| Period | Highland Center | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.4% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Highland Center has been strong: just 0.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Highland Center compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Center | 2.18 | 57.7 | 6.5% | 15.2% | 6.9% | 1973 | $821 | 17.9% | 94.5% | 0.4% |
| Hedrick | 2.85 | 43.5 | 9.0% | 18.8% | 6.9% | 1957 | $722 | 16.6% | 91.4% | 5.2% |
| Rutledge | 2.30 | 54.2 | 7.9% | 19.5% | 3.9% | 1973 | $913 | 20.0% | 94.3% | 0.3% |
| Dahlonega | 2.28 | 55.2 | 10.9% | 13.4% | 14.0% | 1969 | $843 | 24.0% | 95.7% | 1.3% |
| Fremont | 2.98 | 30.8 | 10.1% | 28.7% | 11.9% | 1972 | $780 | 12.7% | 95.4% | 4.5% |
| Martinsburg | 2.12 | 53.6 | 6.5% | 10.4% | 16.2% | 1967 | $553 | 23.9% | 95.5% | 2.4% |
| Kirkville | 2.58 | 44.6 | 4.8% | 16.8% | 4.5% | 1968 | $890 | 16.8% | 94.1% | 1.7% |
| Ottumwa | 2.51 | 38.9 | 19.9% | 35.8% | 10.9% | 1955 | $963 | 19.0% | 85.6% | 5.1% |
| Ottumwa Junction | 2.68 | 50.1 | 4.0% | 13.6% | 6.3% | 1975 | $1,344 | 20.0% | 91.8% | 1.9% |
| Cedar | 2.56 | 42.8 | 12.5% | 19.6% | 5.4% | 1962 | $760 | 20.3% | 92.5% | 3.6% |
| Chillicothe | 2.70 | 45.1 | 4.0% | 14.3% | 5.4% | 1970 | $1,154 | 19.2% | 93.2% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sabula, MO · Rockvale, KY · Rodemer, WV · Rodney, PA · Romona, IN · Roosterville, MA · Roscoe, MO · Rose Hill, IL · Roselle, IA · Roselms, OH
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 Highland Center. 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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