North Highlands is a revitalizing, unified neighborhood of former industry towns
More than a century ago, the neighborhood of North Highlands was a more fragmented stretch of communities and churning industrial facilities that coated the banks of the Chattahoochee River. “It’s a historic mill area – the City Mills and Bibb City were both big centers with homes built around them for workers,” says Megan Kennedy, a Realtor at eXp Realty with a decade of experience specializing in the Columbus area. That kind of patchwork company-town past means the area is known by many names, but a mass loss of industry gave the distinct communities a similar dilapidated appearance. One newer name for North Highlands speaks to its recent multi-pronged revitalization: The Mill District. Developers are giving expansive brick industrial buildings new functions, turning them into event venues, hotels and lofted mixed-rate apartment complexes. Non-profits and local houses of worship are feeding and bringing events to a neighborhood that was long underserved on both fronts. North Highlands is a place where residents and builders continue to see value, increasingly making it a hub for the diverse modern needs of accessible recreation, commutability and affordable housing while leaving the company-owned town format in the past.
Old housing stock and new mixed-rate developments
The old mill towns of North Highlands leave their legacy in older housing stock. Simple minimal traditional and bungalow-style homes were built on blocks and in winding subdivisions from the prewar era through the midcentury. Some new construction homes have been built in the past several years in similar styles. Homes typically sell for $50,000 to $200,000, though fixer-uppers can go for less. The majority of residents rent rather than own, whether living in investor-owned single-family homes or larger apartment complexes. “You get some investors making Airbnb-style short-term rentals. They’ll let you know how close you are to the City Mills Hotel, downtown, the RiverWalk, but also to Fort Benning for the graduations that go on every Thursday,” Kennedy says. Developers continue to repurpose some industrial buildings and build entirely new ones. The Banks at Mill Village offers a mix of market-rate and affordable housing rental units and is also the home of the MercyMed Health Clinic, a sliding fee primary care facility. North Highlands has a CAP Index Crime Score of 8 out of 10, higher than the national average of 4.
A few miles to major Columbus commuter hubs
Second Avenue offers a straight shot to Uptown Columbus, just a few miles south of North Highlands. Cyclists might head into the city on the riverwalk. Other major hospital employers like St. Francis-Emory Healthcare and Piedmont Columbus Regional are also within a few miles of the neighborhood. Fort Benning is around 10 miles away by way of Interstate 185. METRA buses make stops throughout North Highlands. Columbus Airport is around 5 miles from home.
Muscogee County neighborhood schools and magnet programs
A few Muscogee County Schools elementary and middle schools serve North Highlands. Most kids will start off at Fox Elementary School, which earns a C-minus from Niche, before moving on to the C-plus-rated Double Churches Middle School. Jordan Vocational High School also earns a C-plus and is home to the district’s magnet career academy. Students can opt into career-preparatory coursework in fields that range from engineering and cybersecurity to healthcare.
Shopping and dining on Second Avenue
Second Avenue bisects North Highlands and has begun to see an increase in service-oriented new businesses. Harvest Coffee Co. is a cozy coffee shop and cafe run by Take the City, a regional Christian ministry that raises money for women in need. The Food Mill is a farm-to-table restaurant, but it’s also the central hub of its broader food insecurity-fighting-machine made up of mobile markets and community outreach events. The Highland Galerie showcases and sells the work of Columbus-area artists just down the street. The Walmart Neighborhood Market on the Manchester Expressway is the nearest grocery store.
RiverWalk recreation, city parks and community gardens
On the neighborhood’s western edge, residents can find their way onto the Chattahoochee RiverWalk, a pathway that offers cyclists and joggers views of the dams and rapids of its namesake river. The city’s parks and recreation centers, as well as athletic facilities based out of private businesses and churches, are scattered across North Highlands. Towards the east side, families hit the playground and athletic fields at 29th Street Park or make use of indoor courts in the neighboring recreation center. Gardeners flex their green thumbs in shared plots like the ones at Bradley Circle Community Garden.
Service and events through community organizations and churches
North Highlands’ network of community organizations hosts service events and celebrations throughout the year. The Food Mill’s annual Mater Mania street festival combines the two, bringing neighbors together to enjoy live music and food trucks, donate to support the organization’s nutrition programs and find out which neighbor grew the biggest, ugliest tomato. Churches are also major gathering points in the community, with some like Highland Community Church hosting both regular masses and community outreach programs like youth sports leagues. Fox Senior Center offers programming like food drives and social craft events for older residents.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
North Highlands
US
Homicide
6
4
Sexual Assault
7
4
Assault with Weapon
8
4
Robbery
9
4
Burglary
5
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
6
4
Larceny
6
4
Crime Score
10
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
North Highlands Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in North Highlands, Columbus sell after 31 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in North Highlands, Columbus over the last 12 months is $71,250, up 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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This property is part of a package sale that includes four properties and must be sold with all properties together. This unit is a 2BR, 1BA home that has a stable tenant since Aug 2019
This property is part of a package sale that includes four properties and must be sold with all properties together. This unit is a 2BR, 1BA home that has a stable tenant since July 2020
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