Population 4,794 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Waltham Highlands
Household size in Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.24 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.25 | 2.30 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.25 | 2.31 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.25 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.01 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Waltham Highlands are small: just 2.33 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. Locally, though, the typical household here is bigger than in Waltham overall, where it has 2.25 people.
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 Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5 | 37.1 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.7 | 36.3 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 36.2 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 37.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.0 | +0.3 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.5, the median age in Waltham Highlands is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Waltham as a whole, where the median age is 37.4. The median age has climbed from 35.5 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 7.5% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 5.8% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 7.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.1% of households in Waltham Highlands, well below 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 Waltham Highlands
Renters in Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.7% | 52.8% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 54.0% | 50.7% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.3% | 48.3% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.1% | 50.3% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −18.6 pts | −2.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Waltham Highlands rent their homes (36.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Waltham as a whole (50.3%). Nearly four in ten owners (38.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as 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 Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 7.8% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 7.8% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 5.6% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Waltham Highlands: 7.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Locally, though, the rate is higher than in Waltham as a whole (5.6%).
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 Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1958 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1951 | 1958 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1953 | 1962 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1946 | 1964 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −6 | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Waltham Highlands is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1946, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,583 | $1,381 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,464 | $1,470 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,842 | $1,790 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,691 | $2,231 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$108 | +$850 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Waltham Highlands pays $1,691 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Waltham as a whole ($2,231). The typical renter here spends 34.3% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Waltham Highlands
Bachelor's degrees in Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.0% | 45.8% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 52.2% | 50.4% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 55.2% | 55.8% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 58.4% | 58.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +12.7 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Waltham Highlands: 58.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Waltham as a whole looks much the same.
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 Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.9% | 89.0% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.8% | 89.6% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.2% | 92.2% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.6% | 92.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +3.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Waltham Highlands: 94.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Waltham Highlands
| Period | Waltham Highlands | Waltham | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 5.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 6.2% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 3.1% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 3.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Waltham Highlands has been low: just 3.0% 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).
Waltham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Highlands | 2.33 | 40.5 | 4.1% | 36.1% | 7.2% | 1946 | $1,691 | 58.4% | 94.6% | 3.0% |
| Bank Square | 2.38 | 34.0 | 12.8% | 64.7% | 8.7% | 1953 | $2,010 | 51.9% | 83.9% | 5.9% |
| South Side | 2.21 | 34.3 | 8.4% | 66.4% | 4.9% | 1953 | $2,036 | 62.1% | 93.1% | 4.3% |
| Piety Corner | 2.02 | 37.6 | 7.7% | 41.1% | 5.1% | 1979 | $2,215 | 57.5% | 90.7% | 3.5% |
| The Lanes | 2.43 | 47.3 | 5.1% | 16.2% | 4.4% | 1962 | $2,334 | 51.8% | 95.3% | 2.2% |
| Bleachery | 2.05 | 39.0 | 6.9% | 64.4% | 5.5% | 1972 | $2,507 | 54.4% | 90.8% | 4.5% |
| Lakeview | 2.25 | 34.8 | 7.4% | 65.1% | 3.6% | 1972 | $2,766 | 69.8% | 97.1% | 3.1% |
| Warrendale | 2.39 | 41.8 | 7.7% | 28.7% | 4.8% | 1960 | $2,046 | 54.7% | 92.5% | 5.8% |
| North Waltham | 2.23 | 45.3 | 6.1% | 33.4% | 6.0% | 1972 | $2,291 | 49.0% | 92.3% | 3.7% |
| West Newton | 2.64 | 43.3 | 6.8% | 34.4% | 6.1% | 1942 | $2,347 | 80.4% | 98.2% | 3.0% |
| Bemis | 2.28 | 40.2 | 7.3% | 56.5% | 6.6% | 1960 | $2,529 | 67.7% | 95.9% | 5.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Amity, New Haven, CT · Ashton Heights, Arlington, VA · Aspen Ridge, Indianapolis, IN · Rosemont, Martinsburg, WV · Provo South, Provo, UT · Pumphrey, Linthicum, MD · Pyne Poynt, Camden, NJ · Queen Anne Park, Teaneck, NJ · Randall Park, Eau Claire, WI · Reparto Valencia, Bayamon, PR
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 Waltham 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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