Population 9,972 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lower Highlands
Household size in Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.06 | 2.33 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.16 | 2.28 | 2.54 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.99 | 2.31 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.99 | 2.26 | 2.49 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lower Highlands are small: just 1.99 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 edged down from 2.06, as it has 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 Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9 | 38.1 | 39.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.0 | 39.4 | 40.5 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.3 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.2 | 40.0 | 41.7 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +1.9 | +2.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Lower Highlands is 37.2 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the southwest.
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 Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 16.1% | 12.5% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 17.1% | 12.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 16.7% | 11.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 16.2% | 12.1% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Lower Highlands: 15.4% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Fall River. The single-parent share has edged down 1.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Lower Highlands
Renters in Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.2% | 63.0% | 37.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 83.0% | 64.5% | 39.0% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 80.9% | 64.0% | 38.6% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 80.3% | 65.1% | 36.8% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +2.2 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Lower Highlands: 80.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over four in ten owners (41.7%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the center. The renter share is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 12.4% | 10.3% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 12.8% | 10.5% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 10.7% | 10.7% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 6.4% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.5 pts | −6.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Lower Highlands: 6.5% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of Fall River. Vacancy is down 9.5 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1946 | 1959 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1947 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1941 | 1946 | 1960 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1939 | 1950 | 1962 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +4 | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Lower Highlands is a place of older homes: half were built before 1939, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $639 | $661 | $928 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $689 | $745 | $974 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $754 | $833 | $1,103 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,113 | $1,181 | $1,439 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$474 | +$520 | +$511 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Lower Highlands costs $1,113 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $474 a month from 2006–10, a 74% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 31.0% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the southwest.
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 Lower Highlands
Bachelor's degrees in Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 13.5% | 28.5% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 13.4% | 29.6% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 15.2% | 32.4% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 16.0% | 35.2% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +2.4 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lower Highlands have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 3.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northwest.
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 Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 62.8% | 66.8% | 82.1% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 71.1% | 69.3% | 83.9% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.7% | 74.5% | 87.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 74.9% | 75.9% | 88.3% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +9.1 pts | +6.2 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Lower Highlands never finished high school, well above the national share: only 74.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Fall River. The share with a diploma is up 12.2 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 Lower Highlands
| Period | Lower Highlands | Fall River | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 13.5% | 8.5% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 15.4% | 10.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 5.5% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.9 pts | −7.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Lower Highlands: 8.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 5.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Lower 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Highlands | 1.99 | 37.2 | 15.4% | 80.3% | 6.5% | 1939 | $1,113 | 16.5% | 74.9% | 8.3% |
| Corky Row | 2.27 | 37.4 | 14.3% | 81.0% | 10.3% | 1938 | $1,017 | 9.3% | 71.5% | 2.3% |
| Flint Village | 2.23 | 40.3 | 15.9% | 66.8% | 5.5% | 1945 | $1,097 | 13.7% | 73.8% | 4.9% |
| North End | 2.20 | 41.8 | 18.1% | 65.5% | 5.7% | 1944 | $1,216 | 19.6% | 80.6% | 7.6% |
| Highlands-Providence | 2.27 | 42.2 | 7.4% | 37.4% | 3.9% | 1965 | $1,592 | 26.7% | 85.2% | 6.0% |
| Sandy Beach | 2.16 | 41.2 | 16.7% | 71.9% | 7.6% | 1951 | $1,056 | 14.0% | 73.2% | 9.5% |
| Maplewood | 2.63 | 39.2 | 20.6% | 50.5% | 8.4% | 1954 | $1,193 | 14.2% | 74.4% | 3.5% |
| Steep Brook | 2.16 | 38.6 | 8.1% | 51.7% | 2.2% | 1986 | $1,785 | 24.6% | 87.5% | 10.0% |
| Kent Corner | 2.36 | 46.9 | 8.3% | 25.2% | 3.4% | 1960 | $1,223 | 30.0% | 92.3% | 9.6% |
| Oakland Beach | 2.20 | 47.0 | 10.8% | 11.9% | 3.7% | 1958 | $1,327 | 16.8% | 90.5% | 12.4% |
| Kent Heights | 2.54 | 41.3 | 9.3% | 42.8% | 5.0% | 1962 | $1,440 | 27.2% | 91.3% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Argay, Portland, OR · Corlett, Cleveland, OH · Cooper Mountain Aloha South, Beaverton, OR · Cole Valley, San Francisco, CA · Cleveland Heights, Oakland, CA · Burbank-Hayward, Hayward, CA · Bond Hill, Cincinnati, OH · Berkeley, Martinsburg, WV · Ben Hill, Atlanta, GA · Mesa, Santa Barbara, CA
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 Lower 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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