Population 452 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Highland Lake
Household size in Highland Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.80 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Highland Lake has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65.
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 Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.4 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.0 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 58.3 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.9 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 58.3, Highland Lake is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 48.4 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 Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −12.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Highland Lake: 6.0% of households, against 11.6% 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 Highland Lake
Renters in Highland Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.9% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Highland Lake is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 8.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 53.1% have no mortgage at all, 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 Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.8% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.7% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.1% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 27.1% of the housing in Highland Lake, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Highland Lake was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in the Birmingham area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1984.
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 Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $577 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $632 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $900 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $585 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$8 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Highland Lake costs $585 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 9.0% 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 Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Highland Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.2% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Highland Lake than nationally: 30.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.0% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.0% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.6% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.5% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Highland Lake never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Lake
| Period | Highland Lake | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.3% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Highland Lake has been low: just 1.9% 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 Lake 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 Lake | 2.49 | 58.3 | 6.0% | 8.5% | 27.1% | 1978 | $585 | 30.2% | 84.5% | 1.9% |
| Champion | 2.71 | 45.8 | 5.2% | 21.4% | 15.9% | 1980 | $785 | 21.8% | 90.5% | 3.7% |
| Straight Mountain | 3.02 | 49.1 | 2.7% | 36.7% | 19.2% | 1986 | $865 | 6.3% | 84.8% | 7.4% |
| Oneonta | 2.59 | 44.2 | 12.8% | 28.9% | 10.0% | 1984 | $685 | 19.9% | 82.2% | 4.8% |
| Taits Gap | 2.21 | 53.8 | 6.6% | 18.2% | 17.7% | 1985 | $638 | 15.1% | 89.8% | 23.0% |
| Allgood | 3.36 | 38.8 | 15.0% | 16.8% | 11.5% | 1991 | $638 | 15.6% | 80.9% | 8.2% |
| Pinedale Shores | 2.90 | 45.7 | 8.1% | 3.7% | 20.6% | 1988 | $696 | 11.7% | 94.6% | 5.1% |
| Springville | 2.68 | 41.3 | 4.2% | 12.6% | 7.9% | 1998 | $816 | 25.4% | 89.9% | 3.7% |
| Hoods Crossroads | 2.11 | 49.2 | 8.7% | 48.4% | 7.5% | 1990 | $651 | 21.2% | 74.0% | 8.2% |
| Rosa | 2.69 | 41.6 | 9.1% | 21.1% | 6.6% | 1984 | $834 | 14.1% | 86.4% | 1.9% |
| Springville Lake Estates | 2.76 | 37.8 | 3.5% | 3.4% | 10.6% | 1995 | $854 | 20.1% | 86.5% | 7.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hubert, GA · Lima, OK · Lewis Crossroads, SC · Iroquois, SD · Ione, GA · Idledale, CO · Ida, AR · Hunts Point, WA · Huntersville, WV · Hume, MO
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 Lake. 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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