Population 105,397 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brockton
Household size in Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.85 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.00 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.98 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Brockton is a place of big households: 2.98 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.77 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only ten of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
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 Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.6 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.6 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.1 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Brockton is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.1, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 35.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only 16 are younger.
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 Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.9% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.6% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in five households in Brockton (19.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 3.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only seven have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Brockton
Renters in Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.1% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.0% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 42.6% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Brockton rent their homes (42.6%), above the national share of 34.8%. About a quarter of owners (25.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Brockton: 5.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The Boston area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.7 points, as it has nationally.
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 Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1953 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Brockton is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1957, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1952 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,012 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,061 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,154 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,637 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$625 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Brockton runs $1,637 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Boston area as a whole ($2,051). Rent has climbed $625 a month since 2006–10, up 62%, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 31.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Brockton
Bachelor's degrees in Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Brockton have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.9 points, mirroring the country. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only ten have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.7% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.1% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.0% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Brockton never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only ten have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Brockton
| Period | Brockton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Brockton runs well above the national rate: 8.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only seven of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 4.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Brockton compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brockton | 2.98 | 37.1 | 19.6% | 42.6% | 5.8% | 1957 | $1,637 | 22.5% | 82.0% | 8.3% |
| Avon | 2.94 | 38.6 | 16.7% | 22.5% | 0.8% | 1955 | $1,622 | 30.1% | 86.3% | 2.4% |
| West Bridgewater | 2.59 | 39.9 | 6.6% | 18.2% | 1.6% | 1965 | $1,949 | 41.5% | 94.3% | 4.6% |
| Abington | 2.64 | 39.4 | 6.2% | 27.3% | 2.6% | 1968 | $1,963 | 40.3% | 95.3% | 5.5% |
| Whitman | 2.71 | 39.7 | 10.9% | 28.2% | 4.6% | 1961 | $1,670 | 31.0% | 93.6% | 5.0% |
| Holbrook | 2.62 | 42.6 | 10.0% | 16.0% | 0.7% | 1961 | $963 | 35.8% | 92.8% | 2.9% |
| North Easton | 2.61 | 42.7 | 9.2% | 19.1% | 1.7% | 1977 | $1,697 | 53.8% | 96.6% | 4.7% |
| Stoughton | 2.57 | 45.6 | 11.9% | 27.3% | 4.6% | 1967 | $2,012 | 41.8% | 90.3% | 4.4% |
| East Bridgewater | 2.80 | 42.3 | 12.5% | 16.9% | 3.5% | 1977 | $1,749 | 35.3% | 95.6% | 4.7% |
| South Easton | 2.46 | 44.0 | 11.6% | 15.7% | 1.1% | 1980 | $2,033 | 52.3% | 97.2% | 5.1% |
| Randolph | 2.77 | 42.1 | 14.1% | 28.7% | 3.5% | 1968 | $1,965 | 36.5% | 87.9% | 7.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: St. Cloud, FL · Stamford, CT · Surprise, AZ · Springfield, MO · St. Charles, MO · South Bend, IN · Spring Hill, FL · Springfield, OH · Springfield, OR · Sterling Heights, MI
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 Brockton. 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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