Population 3,620 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brookfield
Household size in Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Brookfield are small: just 2.36 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.50, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.2 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.2 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.6 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.6 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.3 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Brookfield skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.1% of households in Brookfield, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Brookfield
Renters in Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.0% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Brookfield is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 12.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 37.9% have no mortgage at all, about the same as 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 Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Brookfield: 7.1% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across the Worcester area.
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 Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Brookfield leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are newer than in the wider Worcester area, where the median home dates to 1965.
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 Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,215 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $913 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $973 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,057 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$158 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Brookfield pays $1,057 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 30.0% 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 Brookfield
Bachelor's degrees in Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.1% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Brookfield (28.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.4% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.8% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.9% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.0% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Brookfield is above the national rate: 94.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%.
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 Brookfield
| Period | Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Brookfield: 7.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Brookfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield | 2.36 | 51.6 | 5.1% | 12.4% | 7.1% | 1973 | $1,057 | 28.9% | 94.0% | 7.1% |
| East Brookfield | 2.36 | 52.1 | 5.6% | 16.7% | 8.4% | 1968 | $1,142 | 27.0% | 96.4% | 5.1% |
| West Brookfield | 2.22 | 56.3 | 8.3% | 21.6% | 10.2% | 1968 | $1,344 | 32.4% | 95.6% | 6.0% |
| Charlton City | 2.68 | 42.0 | 2.6% | 14.0% | 3.1% | 1985 | $1,733 | 53.4% | 94.6% | 1.1% |
| Warren | 2.75 | 34.6 | 15.1% | 36.8% | 9.3% | 1953 | $1,130 | 23.9% | 92.9% | 7.7% |
| Mystic Grove | 2.82 | 47.1 | 14.3% | 4.6% | 8.1% | 1983 | $1,042 | 38.5% | 94.6% | 3.1% |
| Fiskdale | 2.38 | 47.0 | 11.1% | 22.3% | 6.8% | 1987 | $946 | 49.8% | 95.9% | 5.5% |
| North Brookfield | 2.69 | 44.0 | 10.7% | 31.1% | 17.5% | 1958 | $968 | 25.6% | 95.6% | 3.7% |
| East Brimfield | 2.79 | 44.4 | 14.3% | 3.4% | 15.7% | 1984 | $890 | 45.6% | 99.0% | 3.0% |
| Sturbridge | 2.51 | 48.9 | 3.8% | 9.9% | 8.0% | 1977 | $1,542 | 49.1% | 94.5% | 2.5% |
| South Spencer | 2.22 | 59.1 | 3.4% | 11.0% | 5.2% | 1978 | $1,063 | 20.5% | 95.4% | 15.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Union City, MI · Hudson Oaks, TX · Osseo, MN · Clifton, TN · Edwards, IL · New Paris, OH · Vernonia, OR · Kemp, TX · Athens, IL · Orwell, OH
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 Brookfield. 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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