Population 14,568 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of South Lowell: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in South Lowell
Household size in South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.64 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.73 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.74 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.82 | 2.73 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | +0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in South Lowell average 2.82 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Household size has climbed from 2.63 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the west.
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 South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.1 | 34.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.0 | 34.8 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 35.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.0 | 35.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.9 | +1.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.0, South Lowell is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 32.1, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the southeast, the oldest in the west.
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 South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 18.7% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 17.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 17.2% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 17.8% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in South Lowell: 20.2% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 2.8 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 South Lowell
Renters in South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.1% | 50.2% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 51.1% | 55.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.8% | 57.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.1% | 56.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in South Lowell than nationally: 48.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Still, renters make up a smaller share here than in Lowell overall (56.8%). More than a quarter of owners (27.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 3.0 points since 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 South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 10.1% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 8.6% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 7.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −4.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in South Lowell: just 3.9% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. That is in line with the rest of Lowell. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.9 points, mirroring the country.
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 South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1954 | 1949 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1949 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1949 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1953 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
South Lowell is a place of older homes: half were built before 1966, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in Lowell overall, where the median home dates to 1953. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $917 | $913 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,080 | $981 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,299 | $1,158 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,758 | $1,628 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$841 | +$715 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in South Lowell runs $1,758 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $841 a month since 2006–10, up 92%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.3% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 South Lowell
Bachelor's degrees in South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.0% | 22.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 21.3% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.0% | 23.6% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.0% | 29.2% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +7.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in South Lowell have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.0%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.0 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast 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 South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.5% | 77.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.8% | 78.2% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.9% | 81.8% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.5% | 82.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +5.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in South Lowell never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Still, the rate is higher than in Lowell as a whole (82.6%). The share with a diploma is up 3.0 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 South Lowell
| Period | South Lowell | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 8.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 11.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 6.1% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 5.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South Lowell runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 7.4 points, in line with the national trend. 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).
South Lowell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Lowell | 2.82 | 35.0 | 20.2% | 48.1% | 3.9% | 1966 | $1,758 | 25.0% | 85.5% | 4.3% |
| Back Central | 2.57 | 40.9 | 14.4% | 71.8% | 7.5% | 1949 | $1,443 | 13.3% | 69.4% | 7.5% |
| Belvidere | 2.65 | 38.8 | 14.6% | 41.2% | 3.0% | 1957 | $1,522 | 40.6% | 88.6% | 6.2% |
| Downtown Lowell | 1.92 | 35.2 | 10.1% | 78.9% | 6.3% | 1946 | $1,544 | 47.1% | 86.7% | 5.1% |
| 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% |
| Centralville | 2.93 | 33.2 | 29.8% | 51.9% | 3.8% | 1942 | $1,741 | 20.4% | 83.1% | 8.4% |
| Pawtucketville | 2.93 | 36.3 | 14.6% | 45.0% | 6.0% | 1971 | $1,671 | 32.1% | 87.7% | 2.6% |
| 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% |
| Southeast Nashua | 2.27 | 35.5 | 12.2% | 60.8% | 6.3% | 1969 | $1,830 | 42.5% | 94.6% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: West Akron, Akron, OH · Dupont Circle, Washington, DC · Englewood, Chicago, IL · Fairmount, Philadelphia, PA · Greenwell Springs-Central Area, Baton Rouge, LA · Grove Park, Atlanta, GA · Harrowgate, Philadelphia, PA · Heron Walk, Madison, TN · Highland Creek, Charlotte, NC · Joaquin, Provo, UT
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 South Lowell. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.