Population 30,201 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Highlands
Household size in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.94 | 2.64 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.98 | 2.73 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.98 | 2.74 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.95 | 2.73 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | +0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Highlands are large by national standards, averaging 2.95 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the north.
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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.8 | 34.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.6 | 34.8 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.1 | 35.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.2 | 35.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.3 | +1.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Highlands is 36.2 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 31.8 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the northeast.
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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 18.7% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.4% | 17.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 17.2% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 17.8% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Highlands: 16.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Locally, though, single parents are less common here than in Lowell overall (17.8%). The single-parent share has fallen 5.1 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Highlands
Renters in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.6% | 50.2% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 59.2% | 55.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 59.8% | 57.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 58.8% | 56.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Highlands rent: 58.8% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Just over a third of owners (35.4%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 9.2 points, 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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 10.1% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 8.6% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 7.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | −4.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.1% of homes in Highlands are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Lowell as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 5.4 points, as it has nationally.
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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1945 | 1949 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1949 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1949 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1945 | 1953 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Highlands is a place of older homes: half were built before 1945, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $993 | $913 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,004 | $981 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,233 | $1,158 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,708 | $1,628 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$715 | +$715 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Highlands runs $1,708 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $715 a month from 2006–10, a 72% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.7% | 22.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 21.3% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.0% | 23.6% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 29.2% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.7 pts | +7.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Highlands (28.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northeast.
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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.8% | 77.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.4% | 78.2% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.8% | 81.8% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.2% | 82.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +5.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Highlands never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 4.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 8.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 11.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 6.1% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 5.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.9%, unemployment in Highlands is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
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 | 2.95 | 36.2 | 16.1% | 58.8% | 5.1% | 1945 | $1,708 | 28.4% | 78.2% | 5.9% |
| The Acre | 2.04 | 28.7 | 15.9% | 80.3% | 8.4% | 1952 | $1,215 | 31.6% | 80.7% | 4.7% |
| Pawtucketville | 2.93 | 36.3 | 14.6% | 45.0% | 6.0% | 1971 | $1,671 | 32.1% | 87.7% | 2.6% |
| Back Central | 2.57 | 40.9 | 14.4% | 71.8% | 7.5% | 1949 | $1,443 | 13.3% | 69.4% | 7.5% |
| Downtown Lowell | 1.92 | 35.2 | 10.1% | 78.9% | 6.3% | 1946 | $1,544 | 47.1% | 86.7% | 5.1% |
| South Lowell | 2.82 | 35.0 | 20.2% | 48.1% | 3.9% | 1966 | $1,758 | 25.0% | 85.5% | 4.3% |
| Centralville | 2.93 | 33.2 | 29.8% | 51.9% | 3.8% | 1942 | $1,741 | 20.4% | 83.1% | 8.4% |
| Belvidere | 2.65 | 38.8 | 14.6% | 41.2% | 3.0% | 1957 | $1,522 | 40.6% | 88.6% | 6.2% |
| Southeast Nashua | 2.27 | 35.5 | 12.2% | 60.8% | 6.3% | 1969 | $1,830 | 42.5% | 94.6% | 4.0% |
| Mt Vernon Park | 2.75 | 44.0 | 12.6% | 28.1% | 4.5% | 1961 | $1,615 | 22.4% | 77.7% | 1.2% |
| Frye Circle | 2.20 | 45.6 | 5.0% | 33.3% | 10.3% | 1951 | $1,948 | 67.9% | 94.6% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Elmwood, Philadelphia, PA · Oak Forest-Garden Oaks, Houston, TX · Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA · Reynolds Corners, Toledo, OH · Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, NY · Little Lake City, Santa Fe Springs, CA · South Central Omaha, Omaha, NE · Stapleton, Denver, CO · Greater Eastside, St. Paul, MN · West Bloomington, Bloomington, 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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