Brookline vs Cambridge
Brookline, Massachusetts versus Cambridge, Massachusetts: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Brookline and Cambridge score about the same overall (51 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Brookline | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $131k | $122k |
| Cost of Living | $82k | $82k |
| Home Value | $1.2M | $998k |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.80% | 0.45% |
| Income Tax | 9.00% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 18.28% | 14.72% |
| Unemployment | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 29°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.4 in | 49.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 49.2 in | 49.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 181 days | 181 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 97 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 18.5 | 20.9 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 294/100k | 1147/100k |
| Property Crime | 917/100k | 2240/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 62,698 | 117,962 |
| Median Age | 35.1 | 30.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.59 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.85 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | D+64 | D+64 |
| White (%) | 66.4% | 56.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.4% | 10.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.6% | 8.7% |
| Asian (%) | 18.3% | 19.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 5.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 14.6/20 | 16.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 7 mi | 5 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.2% | 92.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 362.85 | 263.39 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Brookline or Cambridge more affordable?
- Cambridge has the lower cost of living: its index is $82k, compared with Brookline's $82k and Cambridge's $82k. Median rent is $3k in Brookline versus $3k in Cambridge.
- Is Brookline or Cambridge safer?
- Brookline has the lower violent crime rate. Brookline reports 294/100k and Cambridge reports 1147/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Brookline or Cambridge?
- The median home value is $1.2M in Brookline and $998k in Cambridge, so homes are more affordable in Cambridge.