Population 4,577 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of West Brookfield: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in West Brookfield
Household size in West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.22 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
West Brookfield is a place of small households, averaging 2.22 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 2.45, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.0 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 56.3 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.3 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 56.3, West Brookfield is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in West Brookfield: 8.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 West Brookfield
Renters in West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.0% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.7% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.6% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 21.6% of households in West Brookfield rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About a third of owners (33.6%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
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 West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in West Brookfield is close to the national rate: 10.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Worcester area (6.8%).
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 West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in West Brookfield is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The picture is much the same across the Worcester area.
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 West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $689 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $992 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,050 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,344 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$656 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in West Brookfield runs $1,344 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 23.9% 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 West Brookfield
Bachelor's degrees in West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.1% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.5% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.1% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.4% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in West Brookfield (32.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little 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 West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.5% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.1% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.2% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.6% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in West Brookfield: 95.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 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 West Brookfield
| Period | West Brookfield | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in West Brookfield is close to the national rate: 6.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Brookfield | 2.22 | 56.3 | 8.3% | 21.6% | 10.2% | 1968 | $1,344 | 32.4% | 95.6% | 6.0% |
| Warren | 2.75 | 34.6 | 15.1% | 36.8% | 9.3% | 1953 | $1,130 | 23.9% | 92.9% | 7.7% |
| Brookfield | 2.36 | 51.6 | 5.1% | 12.4% | 7.1% | 1973 | $1,057 | 28.9% | 94.0% | 7.1% |
| North Brookfield | 2.69 | 44.0 | 10.7% | 31.1% | 17.5% | 1958 | $968 | 25.6% | 95.6% | 3.7% |
| West Warren | 2.14 | 41.6 | 8.4% | 36.1% | 9.5% | 1959 | $855 | 30.5% | 95.2% | 9.3% |
| Ware | 2.27 | 42.3 | 15.8% | 28.5% | 8.5% | 1959 | $1,009 | 23.0% | 91.7% | 10.4% |
| Gilbertville | 2.22 | 44.1 | 8.2% | 39.1% | 8.6% | 1957 | $1,070 | 27.3% | 92.6% | 6.4% |
| New Braintree | 2.53 | 47.9 | 11.8% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 1987 | $1,467 | 41.1% | 93.5% | 4.9% |
| East Brookfield | 2.36 | 52.1 | 5.6% | 16.7% | 8.4% | 1968 | $1,142 | 27.0% | 96.4% | 5.1% |
| East Brimfield | 2.79 | 44.4 | 14.3% | 3.4% | 15.7% | 1984 | $890 | 45.6% | 99.0% | 3.0% |
| Lower Wire Village | 2.20 | 51.6 | 28.3% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 1994 | $1,158 | 22.0% | 72.5% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cold Spring, NY · Hampton, TN · Star City, AR · Adamstown, MD · Freeport, PA · Dwight, IL · Deale, MD · Crane, TX · Copperopolis, CA · Catawissa, PA
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 West 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.