Compare towns
Brookline vs Reading
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookline has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.6%).
Reading has the most homeowners (82.4%).
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 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 63,266Highest |
25,612Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.2±1.2Lowest 12% below MA |
43.7±2.3Highest 9% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.8%±1.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±2.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 85.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
66.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $142,101±$8kLowest 37% above MA |
$165,912±$13kHighest 60% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,246,800±$67kHighest 122% above MA |
$809,000±$22kLowest 44% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,835±$82Highest 61% above MA |
$1,991±$273Lowest 13% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$9,320Lowest 56% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±4Highest MA: 51.8% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 8.7%Highest MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 46.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
82.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1960Highest 4 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 7% below MA |
31 minHighest 6% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.1%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Reading 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 | #50 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Brookline | Reading |
| High school in town | Brookline High | Reading Memorial High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9Lowest |
12.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.