Brookline, Massachusetts
Among the top 4% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 12% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 25% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 91% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 67% of US places
- top 2% for walkability
- top 2% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Brookline is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with about 63,000 residents. It grades A+ for safety & wellbeing and D for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, airport distance, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on monthly rent and monthly owner costs.
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
57%44%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.3 in3.8 in
humid 100%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$131k94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$82kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$1.2M99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$3kbetter than 2% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.80%better than 64% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden18.28%better than 11% of US places
Unemployment3.5%better than 54% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)29°F38th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F34th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation49.4 in76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall49.2 inbetter than 14% of US places
Sunny Days181 daysbetter than 9% of US places
Summer Humidity62°Fbetter than 64% of US places
Comfortable Days94 daysbetter than 78% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk18.5better than 96% of US places
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 57% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime294/100kbetter than 77% of US places
Property Crime917/100kbetter than 51% of US places
Community
Population62,69898th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age35.123rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4982nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.8521st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+641st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)66.4%28th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.4%68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.6%64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)18.3%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.3%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time29 minbetter than 32% of US places
Walkability14.6/20better than 98% of US places
Airport Distance7 mibetter than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.2%better than 84% of US places
Amenities Nearby362.85better than 79% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 16% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Brookline an affordable place to live?
- Brookline is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $82k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Brookline?
- The median home value in Brookline is $1.2M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Brookline?
- Median household income in Brookline is $131k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Brookline?
- Median gross rent in Brookline is $3k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Brookline safe?
- Brookline is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 294/100k (better than 77%). Property crime is 917/100k.
- What is the weather like in Brookline?
- Brookline averages 74°F in July and 29°F in January, with 49.4 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Brookline?
- Public-school quality in Brookline is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Brookline?
- The average one-way commute in Brookline is 29 min.
Other places in Suffolk County
Places near Brookline
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)