Population 10,971 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Washington Square
Household size in Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.28 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.26 | 2.23 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.36 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.20 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.07 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Washington Square is a place of small households, averaging 2.28 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Brookline as a whole looks much the same. Household size has edged down from 2.34 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.3 | 34.6 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.1 | 35.4 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.6 | 36.1 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +1.5 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Washington Square is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.6, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 35.3 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and 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 Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 5.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.3% | 5.4% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.5% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 4.6% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Washington Square: 4.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The picture is much the same across Brookline. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.7 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 Washington Square
Renters in Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3% | 53.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.6% | 53.5% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.4% | 54.2% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 52.3% | 56.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +11.0 pts | +3.8 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Washington Square: 52.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Still, renters make up a smaller share here than in Brookline as a whole (56.8%). Among homeowners, 28.9% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 11.0 points from 2006–10, 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 Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 7.7% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 10.0% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.7% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Washington Square: just 4.1% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Brookline as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy has fallen 3.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1939 | 1945 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1940 | 1945 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1947 | 1948 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1940 | 1946 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +2 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Washington Square is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1940, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,773 | $1,710 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,905 | $1,785 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,510 | $2,316 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,857 | $2,825 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,083 | +$1,115 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Washington Square costs $2,857 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,083 a month from 2006–10, a 61% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 27.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Washington Square
Bachelor's degrees in Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 79.5% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 82.9% | 81.2% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 84.2% | 82.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 87.8% | 85.1% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +5.6 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Washington Square is highly educated: about nine in ten adults 25 and older (87.8%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 1.7 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the north.
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 Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.8% | 96.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.8% | 96.8% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.2% | 96.8% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.5% | 97.7% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Washington Square: 97.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Brookline.
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 Washington Square
| Period | Washington Square | Brookline | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 4.3% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 5.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 2.7% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 4.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.8%, unemployment in Washington Square is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Brookline as a whole (4.0%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has risen 1.6 points, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Washington Square 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Square | 2.28 | 36.6 | 4.0% | 52.3% | 4.1% | 1940 | $2,857 | 87.8% | 97.5% | 4.8% |
| Brookline Village Commercial District | 2.39 | 35.4 | 4.4% | 54.4% | 3.2% | 1945 | $2,858 | 85.6% | 97.4% | 2.9% |
| Coolidge Corner | 1.94 | 37.0 | 3.0% | 68.5% | 7.6% | 1954 | $2,853 | 87.2% | 97.2% | 3.2% |
| Allston-Brighton | 2.01 | 29.8 | 5.3% | 81.3% | 9.0% | 1957 | $2,282 | 74.2% | 91.4% | 4.6% |
| Brookline Village | 2.09 | 37.2 | 5.7% | 54.3% | 4.0% | 1950 | $2,688 | 82.6% | 98.3% | 2.9% |
| North Brookline | 2.24 | 32.4 | 5.1% | 60.6% | 5.7% | 1951 | $2,823 | 78.4% | 98.3% | 7.3% |
| Faneuil | 2.31 | 30.9 | 11.7% | 62.7% | 4.7% | 1947 | $2,637 | 65.6% | 89.5% | 3.9% |
| Fenway-Kenmore | 1.72 | 25.4 | 4.7% | 89.2% | 18.9% | 1959 | $2,266 | 76.9% | 94.7% | 9.1% |
| Cambridgeport | 2.01 | 32.9 | 8.4% | 64.5% | 7.1% | 1964 | $2,822 | 84.0% | 96.3% | 3.3% |
| 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% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Downtown Elizabeth, Elizabeth, NJ · Rose Park, Salt Lake City, UT · Merle Hay, Des Moines, IA · College Glen, Sacramento, CA · Mendenhall Valley, Juneau, AK · Brick Church Bellshire, Nashville, TN · Downtown Brownsville, Brownsville, TX · Lincoln Village, Milwaukee, WI · Annandale-on-Hudson, Staten Island, NY · Oak Creek, Irvine, 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 Washington Square. 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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