What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for Back Central?
Back Central is ranked #9 of 9 eligible neighborhoods in Lowell; #246 of 259 eligible neighborhoods in MA; and #13,128 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.
Neighborhood Profile
Back Central
Lowell, MA | Middlesex County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
31.9
Stability and Strength
26.6
Value Opportunity
24.2
Momentum
51.2
Score note: Rankings show denominators so users always see the size of the eligible cohort.
| Context | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Lowell, MA |
| County | Middlesex County |
| National rank | #13,128 of 14,967 |
| State rank | #246 of 259 |
| City rank | #9 of 9 |
| County rank | #108 of 110 |
| National percentile | 12.3 |
| National band | LOWER_25_PERCENT |
Neighborhood Expert Opportunity
Become the Neighborhood Expert for this market
Inquire about this marketUnsold commercial placement. No local expert is currently assigned.
Housing and local fundamentals
| Housing and market metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Zillow home value | $442,356 |
| Year-over-year home value change | 1.2% |
| Month-over-month home value change | -0.08% |
| Home value to income ratio | 8.76 |
| Median household income | $50,493 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.7% |
| Civilian unemployment rate | 6.7% |
| Homeownership rate | 27.7% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 7.1% |
| Rent burden 30% or higher | 48.1% |
How to read this profile
- Ranks are always shown with denominators.
- Momentum reflects both year-over-year and month-over-month housing change.
- Stability and Strength and Value Opportunity are governed composite scores.
- Identity composition is descriptive intelligence and is not a scoring component.
Questions and Answers
Questions About Living in Back Central
Is Back Central one of the best neighborhoods in Lowell?
Back Central has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 31.9 and a city ranking of #9 of 9 eligible neighborhoods in Lowell.
How much are homes worth in Back Central?
The current Zillow Home Value Index for Back Central is approximately $442,356.
Are home values rising or falling in Back Central?
Zillow neighborhood values changed 1.2% year over year and -0.08% month over month.
What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for Back Central?
Back Central has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 51.2. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.
What is the median household income in Back Central?
The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $50,493.
How affordable is Back Central relative to household income?
The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 8.76. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.
Is Back Central primarily homeowners or renters?
The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 27.7%.
What is the unemployment rate in Back Central?
The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 6.7%.
How educated are residents of Back Central?
Approximately 13.7% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.
What share of renters in Back Central face high rent burden?
Approximately 48.1% of the applicable renter-household universe is estimated to spend 30% or more of household income on gross rent.
How does Best Neighborhoods USA score Back Central?
The overall index combines 40% Stability and Strength, 35% Value Opportunity, and 25% Momentum. Race, ethnicity, and identity composition are not scoring components.
Governed ranking context
How this neighborhood ranks
HMDA Mortgage Intelligence
Neighborhood Mortgage Market
Modeled neighborhood-level mortgage activity allocated from governed HMDA tract data using Zillow neighborhood geometry. These neighborhood values are nonadditive and do not enter the Best Neighborhoods USA Index.
Activity year2024
Estimated applications101
Estimated originations59
Home-purchase applications58
Origination rate58.7%
Home-purchase share57.4%
Average application loan$365,414
Total application loan amount$36,760,129
National application rank#4,331 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage100.0%
Recent trend: Applications 4.3% YoY; originations -1.0% YoY
Mortgage methodology
HMDA is natively reported at tract and other lender-reporting geographies, not Zillow neighborhood or ZIP geography. This module uses the certified NDS HMDA-to-Zillow tract-vintage crosswalk and area-weighted allocation. Rankings require governed geometry coverage. Applicant demographics are excluded. Neighborhood values may overlap and must not be summed to reconstruct ZIP or national totals.