Population 4,345 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Highlands
Household size in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.75 | 2.72 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.79 | 2.78 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.75 | 2.76 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.12 | 2.71 | 2.79 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.39 | −0.05 | +0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Highlands are small: just 2.12 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.51, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.8 | 34.6 | 35.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.1 | 35.8 | 36.6 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.9 | 37.2 | 37.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.0 | 38.4 | 38.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.2 | +3.8 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Highlands skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Highlands has the oldest population of any Boise neighborhood.
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 Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 10.5% | 10.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 10.4% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 9.5% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Highlands (8.8%), below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Boise area.
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 Highlands
Renters in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 29.5% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.5% | 31.9% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 30.3% | 30.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.2% | 27.5% | 27.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Highlands is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 42.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
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 Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 7.9% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 7.2% | 11.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 5.6% | 10.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 0.9% | 5.6% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.6 pts | −2.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 0.9% of homes in Highlands are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Only one other Boise neighborhood has a lower vacancy rate.
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 Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1989 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1989 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1991 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1996 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Highlands are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in the Boise area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1996.
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 Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $881 | $884 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,373 | $921 | $820 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $978 | $1,075 | $941 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,426 | $1,700 | $1,407 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$545 | +$815 | +$641 | +$606 |
Rent in Highlands runs $1,426 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 25.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Highlands
Bachelor's degrees in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.7% | 28.8% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 74.2% | 30.0% | 25.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 77.2% | 31.6% | 27.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 80.8% | 36.9% | 31.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +8.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Highlands: 80.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Highlands has the highest share of college graduates of any Boise neighborhood.
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 Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 99.8% | 89.5% | 88.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 99.9% | 90.1% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.7% | 91.7% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.0% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Highlands: 98.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Highlands has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Boise neighborhoods.
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 Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Boise area | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 7.7% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −4.5 pts | −3.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Highlands has been strong: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Highlands 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands | 2.12 | 48.0 | 8.8% | 24.2% | 0.9% | 1981 | $1,426 | 80.8% | 98.0% | 2.2% |
| North End | 2.07 | 41.1 | 5.4% | 41.4% | 8.1% | 1947 | $1,254 | 61.9% | 98.6% | 2.8% |
| Sunset | 2.48 | 35.7 | 8.0% | 26.0% | 2.7% | 1965 | $1,652 | 63.9% | 92.5% | 1.8% |
| Veterans Park | 2.19 | 36.6 | 9.3% | 57.2% | 8.0% | 1977 | $1,378 | 45.8% | 94.4% | 3.1% |
| Downtown | 1.44 | 43.6 | 4.3% | 87.9% | 11.1% | 1994 | $1,103 | 43.4% | 94.7% | 2.3% |
| East End | 2.02 | 43.5 | 5.6% | 46.6% | 4.5% | 1977 | $1,441 | 64.9% | 96.6% | 1.5% |
| Collister | 2.36 | 41.7 | 3.6% | 26.7% | 4.9% | 1985 | $1,412 | 54.2% | 96.4% | 0.9% |
| Depot Bench | 2.33 | 35.4 | 11.5% | 41.5% | 6.9% | 1962 | $1,222 | 50.9% | 94.2% | 4.0% |
| Winstead Park | 2.33 | 36.9 | 6.8% | 47.5% | 7.0% | 1974 | $1,365 | 47.2% | 92.6% | 2.2% |
| Central Bench | 2.10 | 36.0 | 15.0% | 56.7% | 7.3% | 1970 | $1,225 | 33.6% | 93.7% | 2.9% |
| West Bench | 2.61 | 40.3 | 8.2% | 25.8% | 4.8% | 1977 | $1,672 | 37.0% | 94.4% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Far North Dallas-Roanoke, Roanoke, TX · Greenfield, Bakersfield, CA · Gold Coast, Richland, WA · West River, New Haven, CT · West Side, Charleston, WV · West Southwest 3, Topeka, KS · Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park, San Antonio, TX · Friendly Hills, Dakota Ridge, CO · Westies, Wausau, WI · Westmont, Tillmans Corner, AL
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 Highlands. 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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