Population 12,770 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in The Acre
Household size in The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.64 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.73 | 2.73 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.74 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.04 | 2.73 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.37 | +0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in The Acre are small: just 2.04 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. Household size has dropped from 2.41 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 The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.3 | 34.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.3 | 34.8 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 28.4 | 35.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 28.7 | 35.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.6 | +1.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 28.7, The Acre is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 32.3, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the center.
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 The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 18.7% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 17.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 17.2% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 17.8% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in The Acre: 15.9% 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 is down 2.3 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 The Acre
Renters in The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.4% | 50.2% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 85.1% | 55.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.3% | 57.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 80.3% | 56.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +6.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in The Acre: 80.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 21.4% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the west. The renter share is up 0.9 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 The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 10.1% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 8.6% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 7.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −4.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in The Acre as nationally: 8.4%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Lowell as a whole (5.3%). Vacancy is down 3.8 points from 2006–10, 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 The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1949 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1943 | 1949 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1946 | 1949 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1953 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The Acre is a place of older homes: half were built before 1952, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1944 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the center, the oldest in the southeast.
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 The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $744 | $913 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $856 | $981 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $977 | $1,158 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,215 | $1,628 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$470 | +$715 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in The Acre pays $1,215 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $470 a month since 2006–10, up 63%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 31.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest 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 The Acre
Bachelor's degrees in The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.7% | 22.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.3% | 21.3% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 23.6% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.6% | 29.2% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.9 pts | +7.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in The Acre than nationally: 31.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 14.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the center.
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 The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.5% | 77.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 68.9% | 78.2% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 73.8% | 81.8% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.7% | 82.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.2 pts | +5.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in The Acre never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 14.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger 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 The Acre
| Period | The Acre | Lowell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 8.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 11.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 6.1% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 5.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.7%, unemployment in The Acre is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Lowell overall (5.8%). Unemployment has fallen 4.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
The Acre 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Acre | 2.04 | 28.7 | 15.9% | 80.3% | 8.4% | 1952 | $1,215 | 31.6% | 80.7% | 4.7% |
| Downtown Lowell | 1.92 | 35.2 | 10.1% | 78.9% | 6.3% | 1946 | $1,544 | 47.1% | 86.7% | 5.1% |
| Back Central | 2.57 | 40.9 | 14.4% | 71.8% | 7.5% | 1949 | $1,443 | 13.3% | 69.4% | 7.5% |
| Centralville | 2.93 | 33.2 | 29.8% | 51.9% | 3.8% | 1942 | $1,741 | 20.4% | 83.1% | 8.4% |
| Highlands | 2.95 | 36.2 | 16.1% | 58.8% | 5.1% | 1945 | $1,708 | 28.4% | 78.2% | 5.9% |
| Pawtucketville | 2.93 | 36.3 | 14.6% | 45.0% | 6.0% | 1971 | $1,671 | 32.1% | 87.7% | 2.6% |
| Belvidere | 2.65 | 38.8 | 14.6% | 41.2% | 3.0% | 1957 | $1,522 | 40.6% | 88.6% | 6.2% |
| South Lowell | 2.82 | 35.0 | 20.2% | 48.1% | 3.9% | 1966 | $1,758 | 25.0% | 85.5% | 4.3% |
| Mt Vernon Park | 2.75 | 44.0 | 12.6% | 28.1% | 4.5% | 1961 | $1,615 | 22.4% | 77.7% | 1.2% |
| Southeast Nashua | 2.27 | 35.5 | 12.2% | 60.8% | 6.3% | 1969 | $1,830 | 42.5% | 94.6% | 4.0% |
| 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: Estates Of Highland Creek, Katy, TX · Greater Wythe, Hampton, VA · Gold Coast, Alameda, CA · Glover Park, Washington, DC · Georgetown, Savannah, GA · Seacliff, San Francisco, CA · Four Corners, Antioch, TN · Forest Park, Portland, OR · West Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO · Firestone Park, Akron, OH
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 The Acre. 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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