Population 280 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Houghton Lake Heights
Household size in Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.52 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Houghton Lake Heights are small: just 2.07 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 2.59, 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 Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.1 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.1 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.5 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.2 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Houghton Lake Heights skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −11.0 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Houghton Lake Heights (11.1%), close to 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 Houghton Lake Heights
Renters in Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.9% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.9% of households in Houghton Lake Heights rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 60.9% have no mortgage at all, well above 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 Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 42.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 55.4% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.3% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +14.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 57.3% of the housing in Houghton Lake Heights, 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 Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +3 | +6 |
Housing in Houghton Lake Heights leans a little older: the median home dates to 1975, against 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Michigan.
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 Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $583 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $735 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $738 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $796 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$213 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Houghton Lake Heights runs $796 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 26.0% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Houghton Lake Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Houghton Lake Heights have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 11.6%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.9% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.6% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.7% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Houghton Lake Heights never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Houghton Lake Heights
| Period | Houghton Lake Heights | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.5% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.1% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −17.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Houghton Lake Heights has been low: just 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Houghton Lake Heights 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Lake Heights | 2.07 | 48.5 | 11.1% | 22.9% | 57.3% | 1975 | $796 | 11.6% | 85.7% | 3.1% |
| Houghton Lake | 2.09 | 54.3 | 6.3% | 15.9% | 37.6% | 1979 | $842 | 16.4% | 91.6% | 3.1% |
| Houghton Point | 1.98 | 61.6 | 4.5% | 19.8% | 61.4% | 1977 | $857 | 20.1% | 90.0% | 3.1% |
| Merritt | 2.49 | 45.3 | 9.2% | 13.8% | 39.1% | 1980 | $1,000 | 13.0% | 91.1% | 6.8% |
| Meads Landing | 2.17 | 54.3 | 6.2% | 10.7% | 47.0% | 1983 | $1,047 | 20.3% | 92.4% | 6.8% |
| Prudenville | 2.05 | 52.4 | 11.9% | 23.0% | 42.4% | 1976 | $795 | 18.5% | 93.1% | 4.8% |
| Prosper | 2.23 | 49.7 | 6.3% | 10.4% | 39.1% | 1978 | $963 | 13.0% | 91.5% | 5.6% |
| Falmouth | 2.37 | 45.9 | 4.9% | 10.5% | 35.4% | 1978 | $976 | 13.4% | 88.2% | 5.9% |
| Higgins Lake | 1.88 | 55.9 | 6.3% | 5.0% | 54.2% | 1978 | $843 | 25.5% | 92.6% | 6.5% |
| Moorestown | 2.63 | 40.1 | 10.1% | 14.4% | 43.9% | 1979 | $1,256 | 15.6% | 90.4% | 6.8% |
| Roscommon | 2.04 | 55.4 | 5.9% | 9.6% | 43.6% | 1977 | $809 | 28.3% | 93.7% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jeffress, VA · Sisquoc, CA · Sinai, KY · Sickles, MI · Shumansville, VA · Shulls Mill, NC · Shrewsbury, VT · Shermans Corner, ME · Sheridan, MO · Sheridan, KY
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 Houghton Lake Heights. 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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