Population 5,595 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brookline
Household size in Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.94 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.96 | 2.50 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.07 | 2.49 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.14 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Brookline is a place of big households: 3.14 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.94, even as the national average fell. Only one other New Hampshire city with 5,000+ people has 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 Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6 | 40.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.6 | 42.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.0 | 43.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 44.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
At 41.4, the median age in Brookline is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in New Hampshire as a whole, where the median age is 44.2. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.6, as it has nationally.
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 Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 8.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 8.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Brookline: 8.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. New Hampshire as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 3.4 points, 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 Brookline
Renters in Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 27.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 27.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Brookline is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 4.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About four in ten owners (39.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Only one other New Hampshire city with 5,000+ people has a lower share of renters.
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 Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 12.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 1.0% | 12.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 12.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 11.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.3% of homes in Brookline are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Only six of the 68 New Hampshire cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1987 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Brookline is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1993, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1987 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Only two of the 68 New Hampshire cities with 5,000+ people have newer 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 Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,277 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,058 | $1,094 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,325 | $1,224 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,381 | $1,597 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,104 | +$580 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Brookline costs $2,381 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,104 a month since 2006–10, up 86%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 23.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the southwest.
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 Brookline
Bachelor's degrees in Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.5% | 33.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 46.0% | 35.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 55.8% | 37.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.4% | 41.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.0 pts | +7.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Brookline: 57.4% 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 has risen 10.0 points since 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 Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.8% | 91.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.6% | 92.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.7% | 93.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.7% | 94.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Brookline: 97.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Brookline has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five New Hampshire cities.
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 Brookline
| Period | Brookline | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 6.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.9% | 3.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Brookline has been low: just 0.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only six of the 68 New Hampshire cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.3 points, in line with the national trend.
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).
Brookline 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookline | 3.14 | 41.4 | 8.2% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 1993 | $2,381 | 57.4% | 97.7% | 0.9% |
| High Bridge | 2.75 | 43.7 | 9.3% | 9.3% | 12.7% | 1988 | $2,530 | 39.5% | 95.3% | 2.7% |
| North Brookline | 3.08 | 36.3 | 5.2% | 10.5% | 8.7% | 1990 | $1,565 | 50.8% | 98.3% | 0.9% |
| Mason | 2.48 | 45.6 | 9.0% | 12.6% | 7.4% | 1983 | $1,830 | 29.6% | 90.2% | 5.0% |
| Hollis | 2.65 | 47.3 | 5.8% | 8.5% | 2.3% | 1982 | $2,208 | 57.3% | 97.2% | 2.0% |
| Townsend | 2.68 | 42.2 | 9.5% | 17.3% | 3.4% | 1974 | $1,917 | 36.9% | 94.3% | 5.5% |
| Milford | 2.50 | 39.4 | 11.5% | 36.5% | 4.4% | 1980 | $1,562 | 34.9% | 95.4% | 2.4% |
| Pepperell | 2.75 | 44.6 | 7.9% | 15.3% | 5.2% | 1981 | $1,466 | 44.3% | 97.0% | 3.7% |
| Greenville | 2.48 | 45.5 | 6.7% | 21.9% | 10.4% | 1972 | $1,465 | 21.2% | 87.3% | 6.2% |
| West Townsend | 2.77 | 43.2 | 7.1% | 19.8% | 2.1% | 1977 | $1,791 | 33.5% | 96.3% | 10.0% |
| Townsend Harbor | 2.83 | 42.3 | 6.8% | 8.2% | 3.0% | 1986 | $2,247 | 52.9% | 97.4% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Truth Or Consequences, NM · Chester, NH · Vidalia, LA · Versailles, MO · Vernon, FL · Vancleave, MS · Bloomingdale, GA · Vanceboro, NC · Valley View, TX · Upland, IN
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 Brookline. 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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