Population 20,044 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Brooklyn Heights
Household size in Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.88 | 2.77 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.88 | 2.84 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.91 | 2.77 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.94 | 2.78 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | +0.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Brooklyn Heights are small: just 1.94 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. Household size has crept up from 1.88 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only one other Brooklyn neighborhood has smaller 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 Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6 | 35.1 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.8 | 35.1 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.4 | 36.2 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.9 | 37.5 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +2.4 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
At 38.9, the median age in Brooklyn Heights is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 37.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the west.
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 Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 16.5% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 15.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 12.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.2% of households in Brooklyn Heights, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.8 points, even as the national share fell. Of Brooklyn's 39 neighborhoods, only two have a lower 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 Brooklyn Heights
Renters in Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.0% | 69.7% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 54.6% | 70.5% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 52.0% | 69.9% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.4% | 70.5% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Brooklyn Heights than nationally: 49.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Locally, though, renters make up a smaller share here than in Brooklyn overall (70.5%). Among owners, 49.9% have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 0.6 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 9.4% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 9.1% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Brooklyn Heights than nationally: 11.1%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 0.9 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 Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1941 | 1946 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1948 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1942 | 1948 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1944 | 1953 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Brooklyn Heights is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1944, 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 1941 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the southwest has the oldest housing.
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 Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,572 | $1,083 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,792 | $1,248 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,258 | $1,524 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,969 | $1,954 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,397 | +$871 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Brooklyn Heights costs $2,969 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,397 a month from 2006–10, an 89% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 22.9% of household income on rent, comfortably 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 Brooklyn Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.9% | 27.8% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 79.1% | 30.4% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.6% | 36.1% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 84.9% | 40.2% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +12.4 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Brooklyn Heights is highly educated: just over eight in ten adults 25 and older (84.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.0 points, mirroring the country. Only one other Brooklyn neighborhood has a higher 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 Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.0% | 77.3% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.0% | 78.5% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.8% | 81.7% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.7% | 83.6% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +6.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Brooklyn Heights: 97.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Only one other Brooklyn neighborhood has a higher 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 Brooklyn Heights
| Period | Brooklyn Heights | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 8.5% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 10.8% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Brooklyn Heights runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Only one other Brooklyn neighborhood has lower unemployment. 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).
Brooklyn Heights compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Heights | 1.94 | 38.9 | 4.2% | 49.4% | 11.1% | 1944 | $2,969 | 84.9% | 97.7% | 3.8% |
| Dumbo | 2.12 | 36.3 | 12.3% | 58.2% | 10.1% | 1974 | $3,023 | 77.1% | 96.6% | 5.5% |
| Cobble Hill | 2.33 | 37.0 | 3.9% | 58.4% | 7.9% | 1938 | $3,177 | 85.1% | 97.7% | 7.7% |
| Downtown Brooklyn | 1.78 | 33.1 | 4.6% | 76.4% | 7.5% | 1989 | $3,413 | 80.3% | 97.3% | 4.8% |
| Columbia Street Waterfront District | 2.34 | 37.6 | 5.1% | 61.3% | 8.3% | 1947 | $2,823 | 82.8% | 96.2% | 4.7% |
| Boerum Hill | 2.07 | 35.2 | 9.1% | 77.6% | 9.2% | 1966 | $2,833 | 71.5% | 92.4% | 6.8% |
| Financial District | 1.96 | 32.1 | 4.5% | 74.8% | 18.1% | 1962 | $3,307 | 83.6% | 96.8% | 3.9% |
| Carroll Gardens | 2.33 | 38.7 | 5.4% | 62.2% | 10.2% | 1947 | $3,048 | 75.8% | 96.0% | 6.4% |
| Chinatown | 2.21 | 49.8 | 4.5% | 75.5% | 23.4% | 1959 | $1,230 | 30.8% | 56.4% | 13.8% |
| Lower East Side | 2.13 | 43.0 | 9.1% | 81.9% | 12.6% | 1953 | $1,357 | 39.7% | 71.4% | 9.0% |
| Red Hook | 2.21 | 41.6 | 22.4% | 89.1% | 8.5% | 1940 | $1,374 | 33.0% | 73.9% | 8.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Park Hill, Denver, CO · Cully, Portland, OR · SouthWest Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, CA · Del Rio, Jacksonville, FL · South Southwest, San Antonio, TX · Maplewood, Rochester, NY · Sandy Beach, Fall River, MA · Fair Haven, New Haven, CT · Rockaway Park, Queens, NY · Franklin Park, Toledo, 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 Brooklyn Heights. 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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