Compare towns
Brookline vs Cambridge vs Somerville
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 kids (18.7% under 18).
Cambridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.6%).
Somerville has the most affordable homes ($911k median).
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 | Cambridge | Somerville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 63,266Lowest |
118,796Highest |
81,036 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.6% MA: +7.4% |
+12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.2±1.2Highest 12% below MA |
30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
31.9±0.6 20% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.4%±0.8 MA: 19.4% |
9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.8%±1.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
12.2%±0.7 MA: 17.9% |
10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 85.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
80.8% MA: 47.3% |
69.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
12.8%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $142,101±$8kHighest 37% above MA |
$130,748±$4kLowest 26% above MA |
$132,572±$6k 28% above MA |
| Brookline and Somerville 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 |
$1,092,100±$42k 94% above MA |
$911,300±$26kLowest 62% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,835±$82Highest 61% above MA |
$2,787±$48 58% above MA |
$2,517±$64Lowest 43% 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 |
$4,802Lowest 20% below MA |
$6,186 3% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±4Highest MA: 51.8% |
45%±2.3 MA: 51.8% |
36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Brookline and Cambridge 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% |
12.8%Highest MA: 10% |
9.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 46.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
34.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1950Highest 14 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 7% below MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
31 minHighest 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.1%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
30.8%±1.5 MA: 18.6% |
31.3%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Somerville and Cambridge 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 | #122 of 282 in MA | #225 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Brookline | Cambridge | Somerville |
| High school in town | Brookline High | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Somerville High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9Highest |
9.3Lowest |
11.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.