Population 9,660 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Highlands
Household size in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.92 | 2.96 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.98 | 3.00 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.98 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.81 | 2.91 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.05 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Highlands average 2.81 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Locally, though, the typical household here is smaller than in the wider Houston area, where it has 2.91 people. Household size has dropped from 2.92 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1 | 34.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.0 | 34.8 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 35.6 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.2 | 36.4 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +2.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Highlands is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.2, against 40.1 nationally. Still, the population here is older than in the wider Houston area, where the median age is 36.4. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 35.1, in line with the national trend.
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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 13.5% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Highlands than nationally: 13.2%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Houston area. The single-parent share is down 2.2 points from 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.8% | 36.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.7% | 38.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.0% | 39.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.2% | 38.8% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Highlands rent their homes (26.2%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly half of owners (47.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the southwest. The renter share is up 3.4 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 10.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 9.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 8.6% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Highlands: 15.9% 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. Vacancy has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1988 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +8 | +8 | +6 |
Homes in Highlands are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. Even so, homes here are older than in the Houston area overall, where the median home dates to 1993. The median year built has moved up from 1977 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the north 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $811 | $1,018 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,032 | $1,103 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $995 | $1,300 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,282 | $1,649 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$471 | +$631 | +$639 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Highlands costs $1,282 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $471 a month since 2006–10, up 58%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the north.
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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 29.2% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 30.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 35.9% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Highlands have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.2 points, mirroring the country. 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.1% | 80.9% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.3% | 81.9% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.3% | 83.6% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.2% | 84.8% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Highlands never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 1.1 points, a smaller shift than 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 | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Highlands: 9.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Of the 545 Texas cities with 5,000+ people, only 45 have higher unemployment. Unemployment has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands | 2.81 | 38.2 | 13.2% | 26.2% | 15.9% | 1986 | $1,282 | 13.7% | 81.2% | 9.1% |
| Barrett | 2.80 | 27.9 | 18.5% | 15.4% | 10.2% | 1981 | $1,189 | 18.9% | 82.3% | 10.5% |
| Lynchburg | 3.05 | 43.5 | 3.0% | 25.6% | 18.9% | 1961 | $1,642 | 15.0% | 89.5% | 3.5% |
| Channelview | 3.46 | 32.3 | 17.7% | 30.3% | 11.4% | 1991 | $1,187 | 14.5% | 70.9% | 8.0% |
| Baytown | 2.86 | 35.5 | 16.2% | 43.8% | 8.7% | 1986 | $1,549 | 15.7% | 79.4% | 10.1% |
| Sheldon | 3.40 | 29.3 | 23.2% | 46.3% | 3.0% | 1977 | $1,750 | 7.3% | 77.9% | 7.9% |
| Magnolia Gardens | 3.87 | 29.9 | 27.7% | 19.3% | 8.9% | 2005 | $1,129 | 11.2% | 84.2% | 8.1% |
| Crosby | 3.11 | 35.4 | 12.0% | 14.4% | 10.8% | 1996 | $1,550 | 18.6% | 88.1% | 6.4% |
| Cloverleaf | 3.45 | 30.3 | 27.1% | 43.2% | 10.0% | 1979 | $1,238 | 10.8% | 64.4% | 6.9% |
| Mont Belvieu | 3.02 | 34.9 | 8.0% | 17.9% | 4.7% | 2008 | $1,915 | 25.9% | 90.8% | 6.5% |
| Jacinto City | 3.23 | 36.0 | 22.2% | 35.1% | 10.9% | 1964 | $1,329 | 6.2% | 55.9% | 8.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lewiston, NY · Richmond Heights, OH · Redland, MD · Rancho Santa Fe, CA · Queensbury, NY · Pompton Lakes, NJ · Pomona, NY · Pleasant View, UT · Playa Del Rey, CA · Plantsville, CT
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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