Compare towns
Brookline vs Reading vs Wakefield
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 expensive homes ($1247k median).
Reading has the highest household income ($166k).
Wakefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).
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 | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 63,266Highest |
25,612Lowest |
27,793 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.6% MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.2±1.2Lowest 12% below MA |
43.7±2.3Highest 9% above MA |
42.4±1.7 6% above MA |
| Reading and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Reading and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.8%±1.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±2.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Reading and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 85.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
66.3% MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $142,101±$8k 37% above MA |
$165,912±$13kHighest 60% above MA |
$134,306±$14kLowest 29% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,246,800±$67kHighest 122% above MA |
$809,000±$22k 44% above MA |
$723,500±$24kLowest 29% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,835±$82Highest 61% above MA |
$1,991±$273 13% above MA |
$1,958±$102Lowest 11% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$9,320 56% above MA |
$7,779Lowest 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±4Highest MA: 51.8% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9 MA: 51.8% |
| Brookline and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.7%Highest MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 46.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
82.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1960Highest 4 yrs older than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 7% below MA |
31 min 6% above MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.1%±2.2 MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Lowest 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 | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Brookline | Reading | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | Brookline High | Reading Memorial High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9 |
12.1Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.