Compare towns
Brookline vs Boston vs Cambridge
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookline has the most homeowners (46.9%).
Boston has the most affordable homes ($732k median).
Cambridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.6%).
Cambridge is a college town. 25.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Brookline | Boston | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 63,266Lowest |
666,442Highest |
118,796 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.4% MA: +7.4% |
+12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.2±1.2Highest 12% below MA |
33.3±0.2 17% below MA |
30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±0.3 MA: 19.4% |
12.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.8%±1.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
13%±0.3 MA: 17.9% |
12.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 85.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
80.8% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
15%±0.3 MA: 7.9% |
25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $142,101±$8kHighest 37% above MA |
$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
$130,748±$4k 26% above MA |
| Brookline and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,246,800±$67kHighest 122% above MA |
$731,700±$10kLowest 30% above MA |
$1,092,100±$42k 94% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,835±$82Highest 61% above MA |
$2,147±$25Lowest 22% above MA |
$2,787±$48 58% above MA |
| Brookline and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
$4,802 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±4 MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
45%±2.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Boston and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
12.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 46.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
35.7% MA: 62.5% |
33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1947 17 yrs older than MA |
1950Highest 14 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 7% below MA |
30 minHighest 4% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 30.1%±2.2 MA: 18.6% |
21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
30.8%±1.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Cambridge and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #22 of 282 in MA | #258 of 282 in MA | #122 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Brookline | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston | Cambridge |
| High school in town | Brookline High | Boston Latin School | Cambridge Rindge and Latin |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9 |
18.7Highest |
9.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.