Population 7,938 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Highlands
Household size in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.84 | 2.41 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.42 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Highlands run small, averaging 2.42 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.84 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.4 | 34.6 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.9 | 34.8 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.8 | 35.3 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.6 | 35.9 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +1.3 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
Highlands is young: half of its residents are under 32.6, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 28.4, mirroring the country.
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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 9.5% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 9.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 9.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Highlands (10.5%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Locally, though, single parents are more common here than in Lincoln as a whole (9.4%). The single-parent share has risen 3.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.7% | 39.7% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.7% | 42.3% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.4% | 42.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.9% | 43.1% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +19.2 pts | +3.4 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Highlands than nationally: 47.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 35.5% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the center. The renter share is up 19.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 7.2% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 5.9% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 6.4% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 5.4% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Highlands: just 2.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.4 points, mirroring the country. Only one other Lincoln 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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1993 | 1976 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1993 | 1976 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1996 | 1978 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1982 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Highlands is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. Highlands has newer homes than the great majority of Lincoln neighborhoods.
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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $927 | $788 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $897 | $815 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $965 | $982 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,423 | $1,226 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$496 | +$438 | +$429 | +$606 |
The median renter in Highlands pays $1,423 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Lincoln as a whole ($1,226). Rent has climbed $496 a month since 2006–10, up 53%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 34.2% of household income on rent, 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 Highlands
Bachelor's degrees in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8% | 36.0% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 41.8% | 37.2% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.6% | 39.4% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.2% | 41.4% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +5.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Highlands (45.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 4.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast.
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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.4% | 93.0% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.2% | 93.4% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.1% | 93.4% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.3% | 93.1% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Highlands have finished high school (92.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Lincoln. The share with a diploma has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 6.0% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Highlands than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Locally, though, the rate is higher than in Lincoln as a whole (3.2%). 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 | 2.42 | 32.6 | 10.5% | 47.9% | 2.7% | 1994 | $1,423 | 45.2% | 92.3% | 4.6% |
| West Lincoln | 2.52 | 30.0 | 11.7% | 57.3% | 3.9% | 1992 | $1,162 | 16.7% | 79.1% | 4.8% |
| Tri-Court | 2.96 | 26.0 | 20.4% | 65.9% | 5.0% | 1995 | $1,357 | 20.4% | 71.5% | 12.9% |
| Belmont | 2.34 | 33.9 | 18.6% | 49.9% | 8.4% | 1977 | $1,140 | 21.0% | 85.9% | 1.9% |
| Arnold Heights | 2.74 | 28.9 | 18.1% | 73.4% | 4.2% | 1955 | $980 | 19.0% | 89.9% | 5.6% |
| Clinton | 2.74 | 25.5 | 16.4% | 57.1% | 6.3% | 1966 | $1,024 | 27.3% | 77.3% | 7.6% |
| Malone | 2.29 | 26.3 | 4.8% | 80.3% | 5.9% | 1995 | $797 | 62.5% | 89.3% | 2.5% |
| Downtown Lincoln | 1.84 | 28.0 | 6.2% | 93.1% | 11.3% | 1980 | $801 | 35.3% | 90.3% | 7.7% |
| East Campus | 2.24 | 26.8 | 5.3% | 55.3% | 10.1% | 1956 | $1,143 | 60.5% | 92.0% | 5.8% |
| Hartley | 2.55 | 28.2 | 18.0% | 58.1% | 8.9% | 1954 | $1,374 | 36.3% | 86.3% | 9.4% |
| South Salt Creek | 2.27 | 29.4 | 15.1% | 57.0% | 9.8% | 1946 | $873 | 19.2% | 84.8% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Chinatown, Manhattan, NY · Fruitridge Manor, Sacramento, CA · Dimond, Oakland, CA · Deep Creek West, Chesapeake, VA · Central Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA · Brighton Heights, Pittsburgh, PA · Belmont Shore, Long Beach, CA · Beechhurst, Queens, NY · Westborough, South San Francisco, CA · Linden Hills, Minneapolis, MN
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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