Population 10,311 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brookdale
Household size in Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.79 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.81 | 2.82 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.87 | 2.79 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Brookdale average 2.87 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.79, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the south.
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 Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7 | 38.0 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 38.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 39.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.6 | 40.4 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.1 | +2.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
At 39.6, the median age in Brookdale is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 41.7, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the north.
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 Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 11.6% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.4% of households in Brookdale, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 0.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Brookdale
Renters in Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 47.1% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 48.7% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.1% | 48.8% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 48.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.0% of households in Brookdale rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About three in ten owners (29.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the north. The renter share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Brookdale: just 4.5% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 1.5 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1957 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1946 | 1958 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1959 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1948 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Brookdale is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1948, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the west. Of the 415 New Jersey cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 have older homes.
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 Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,715 | $1,268 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,792 | $1,377 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,094 | $1,645 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,930 | $2,060 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$215 | +$792 | +$651 | +$606 |
The median renter in Brookdale pays $1,930 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the New York area as a whole ($2,060). Rent has climbed $215 a month since 2006–10, up 13%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Brookdale
Bachelor's degrees in Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.3% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 52.6% | 36.7% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.1% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 63.8% | 43.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.5 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Brookdale: 63.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 13.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.4% | 83.7% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.2% | 84.6% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.9% | 86.2% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.3% | 86.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Brookdale: 96.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Brookdale
| Period | Brookdale | New York area | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.1% | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Brookdale runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.6 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
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).
Brookdale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale | 2.87 | 39.6 | 5.4% | 15.0% | 4.5% | 1948 | $1,930 | 63.8% | 96.3% | 4.3% |
| Upper Montclair | 3.11 | 42.1 | 5.9% | 14.2% | 7.9% | 1941 | $2,133 | 85.3% | 99.1% | 4.9% |
| Nutley | 2.57 | 41.0 | 8.0% | 29.7% | 4.2% | 1955 | $1,948 | 52.7% | 94.4% | 5.6% |
| Montclair | 2.53 | 38.7 | 11.7% | 53.1% | 5.5% | 1947 | $2,133 | 69.0% | 96.2% | 4.3% |
| Glen Ridge | 3.18 | 41.2 | 5.9% | 12.0% | 4.8% | 1939 | $2,479 | 80.6% | 99.6% | 6.8% |
| Bloomfield | 2.53 | 39.7 | 9.8% | 56.8% | 4.0% | 1956 | $1,934 | 45.4% | 90.5% | 5.8% |
| Clifton | 2.75 | 43.2 | 8.6% | 40.7% | 4.5% | 1951 | $1,807 | 36.4% | 89.5% | 7.0% |
| Belleville | 2.73 | 42.9 | 9.6% | 45.4% | 5.7% | 1951 | $1,639 | 32.4% | 86.0% | 9.4% |
| Cedar Grove | 2.59 | 44.7 | 3.4% | 16.3% | 5.0% | 1962 | $2,010 | 61.8% | 95.4% | 7.6% |
| Verona | 2.58 | 46.8 | 5.2% | 20.5% | 4.7% | 1953 | $2,115 | 70.0% | 98.7% | 4.6% |
| Passaic | 3.37 | 32.3 | 28.0% | 76.2% | 4.0% | 1942 | $1,473 | 17.6% | 67.8% | 12.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ripon, WI · Purcell, OK · Glenwood, IL · Gladwin, MI · Willard, MO · Redding, CT · Geneva, OH · Geneseo, IL · Richboro, PA · Rio del Mar, CA
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 Brookdale. 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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