Population 866 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Highland Lakes
Household size in Highland Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.75 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.27 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Highland Lakes run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.75, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.1 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.3 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.0 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 58.1 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +21.0 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 58.1, Highland Lakes is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.7% of households in Highland Lakes, 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 Lakes
Renters in Highland Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 1.6% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 0.6% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Highland Lakes is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 0.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than a third of owners (36.5%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Highland Lakes: 17.1% of homes are empty, 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 Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Highland Lakes is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Even so, homes here are newer than in the New York area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1962.
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 Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,277 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,221 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,600 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,261 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$984 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Highland Lakes costs $2,261 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 48.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Lakes
Bachelor's degrees in Highland Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.1% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.4% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.0% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Highland Lakes (35.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in the New York area as a whole (43.6%).
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 Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.8% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.1% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.2% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Highland Lakes: 97.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Lakes
| Period | Highland Lakes | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Highland Lakes runs below the national rate: 4.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 Lakes 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 Lakes | 2.48 | 58.1 | 7.7% | 0.6% | 17.1% | 1971 | $2,261 | 35.0% | 97.2% | 4.5% |
| Highland Lake | 2.37 | 51.3 | 9.8% | 6.3% | 17.3% | 1968 | $2,208 | 45.4% | 98.7% | 3.8% |
| Upper Greenwood Lake | 2.40 | 42.0 | 5.3% | 9.1% | 7.9% | 1974 | $2,176 | 45.7% | 98.7% | 4.4% |
| Vernon | 2.58 | 44.5 | 8.1% | 9.6% | 12.0% | 1979 | $2,089 | 35.3% | 96.8% | 6.2% |
| Glenwood | 2.50 | 48.2 | 5.8% | 6.7% | 4.1% | 1975 | $1,555 | 39.1% | 97.8% | 12.8% |
| Hewitt | 2.51 | 46.9 | 3.9% | 12.9% | 12.3% | 1963 | $2,075 | 39.5% | 97.6% | 6.3% |
| West Milford | 2.65 | 47.4 | 4.8% | 9.8% | 6.0% | 1973 | $1,612 | 39.9% | 95.2% | 4.5% |
| Hamburg | 2.23 | 48.9 | 9.3% | 24.8% | 4.0% | 1989 | $1,903 | 35.0% | 95.1% | 4.3% |
| Sussex | 2.38 | 40.5 | 8.4% | 41.9% | 9.4% | 1962 | $1,796 | 33.7% | 93.1% | 3.1% |
| Warwick | 2.67 | 47.3 | 4.8% | 23.7% | 9.1% | 1978 | $1,664 | 48.3% | 94.5% | 3.5% |
| Sterling Forest | 2.26 | 44.3 | 6.4% | 6.4% | 17.0% | 1963 | $1,537 | 30.3% | 99.6% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Woodlawn, NC · Warwick, OK · Fishertown, PA · Fairfield, MI · Essex, MO · Escalante, UT · Escabosa, NM · Equinunk, PA · Embarrass, WI · Winfield, FL
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 Lakes. 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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