Population 7,233 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in North Brookline
Household size in North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.28 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.39 | 2.23 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.75 | 2.36 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 2.20 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.25 | −0.07 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
North Brookline is a place of small households, averaging 2.24 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.49, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the east.
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 North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.6 | 34.6 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 28.1 | 35.4 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 27.2 | 34.0 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.4 | 36.1 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.8 | +1.5 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 32.4, North Brookline is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 28.6 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the east.
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 North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 5.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 5.4% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 5.5% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 4.6% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in North Brookline: 5.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The picture is much the same across Brookline. The single-parent share has edged up 1.2 points since 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 North Brookline
Renters in North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.9% | 53.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 61.0% | 53.5% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.2% | 54.2% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 60.6% | 56.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +3.8 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in North Brookline: 60.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. About half of owners (49.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 5.7 points, a much bigger shift than 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 North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 7.7% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 10.0% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 4.7% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in North Brookline: 5.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across Brookline. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.9 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 North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1945 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1946 | 1945 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1946 | 1948 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1951 | 1946 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +2 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
North Brookline is a place of older homes: half were built before 1951, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in Brookline as a whole, where the median home dates to 1946. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the east 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 North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,824 | $1,710 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,621 | $1,785 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,293 | $2,316 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,823 | $2,825 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$999 | +$1,115 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in North Brookline pays $2,823 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $999 a month from 2006–10, a 55% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; 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 North Brookline
Bachelor's degrees in North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.4% | 79.5% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 89.5% | 81.2% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 76.5% | 82.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 78.4% | 85.1% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +5.6 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in North Brookline: 78.4% 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. Even so, the share is lower than in Brookline as a whole (85.1%). The share with a degree has edged down 1.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.0% | 96.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.4% | 96.8% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.9% | 96.8% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.3% | 97.7% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in North Brookline: 98.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Brookline. The share with a diploma has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 North Brookline
| Period | North Brookline | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 4.3% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 5.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 2.7% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 4.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in North Brookline: 7.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
North Brookline 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Brookline | 2.24 | 32.4 | 5.1% | 60.6% | 5.7% | 1951 | $2,823 | 78.4% | 98.3% | 7.3% |
| Coolidge Corner | 1.94 | 37.0 | 3.0% | 68.5% | 7.6% | 1954 | $2,853 | 87.2% | 97.2% | 3.2% |
| Brookline Village Commercial District | 2.39 | 35.4 | 4.4% | 54.4% | 3.2% | 1945 | $2,858 | 85.6% | 97.4% | 2.9% |
| Washington Square | 2.28 | 36.6 | 4.0% | 52.3% | 4.1% | 1940 | $2,857 | 87.8% | 97.5% | 4.8% |
| Cambridgeport | 2.01 | 32.9 | 8.4% | 64.5% | 7.1% | 1964 | $2,822 | 84.0% | 96.3% | 3.3% |
| Brookline Village | 2.09 | 37.2 | 5.7% | 54.3% | 4.0% | 1950 | $2,688 | 82.6% | 98.3% | 2.9% |
| Allston-Brighton | 2.01 | 29.8 | 5.3% | 81.3% | 9.0% | 1957 | $2,282 | 74.2% | 91.4% | 4.6% |
| Fenway-Kenmore | 1.72 | 25.4 | 4.7% | 89.2% | 18.9% | 1959 | $2,266 | 76.9% | 94.7% | 9.1% |
| Riverside | 2.01 | 27.0 | 8.4% | 77.9% | 16.3% | 1956 | $2,788 | 76.0% | 97.3% | 4.0% |
| MIT | 2.07 | 22.3 | 4.2% | 100.0% | 10.3% | 1977 | $2,752 | 97.0% | 99.8% | 3.8% |
| Area IV | 2.24 | 30.4 | 12.5% | 77.8% | 4.8% | 1962 | $2,366 | 71.0% | 92.0% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Andersonville, Chicago, IL · Seward, Minneapolis, MN · Sierra Springs, San Antonio, TX · South Main, Houston, TX · South Park, Buffalo, NY · Standish, Minneapolis, MN · Greenfield, Pittsburgh, PA · Hamilton Main Street Historic District, Hamilton, OH · Bushrod, Oakland, CA · Bryn Mawr, Yonkers, NY
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 North 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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