Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety89#1,662/15,637
Economy76#3,733/15,631
Housing49#7,628/14,977
Health98#383/15,609
Healthcare99#99/15,650
Environment76#3,674/15,453
Education100#19/15,649
Infrastructure97#468/15,650
Community93#1,046/15,651
Leisure & amenities70#4,725/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brookline, Massachusetts ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Norfolk County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Bachelor's degree or higher · high85.4%
100/100Massachusetts 47.3%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Reading scores · high3.59
99/100Massachusetts 3.31United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNorfolk County value
Public transit commuters · high18.1%
99/100Massachusetts 6.5%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Adult obesity · low21.1%
99/100Massachusetts 26.9%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Adult smoking · low6.5%
98/100Massachusetts 11.6%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Flu vaccinations · high59.0%
98/100Massachusetts 55.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNorfolk County value

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high8.8×
2/100Massachusetts 5.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.516
3/100Massachusetts 0.489United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Child care cost burden · high43.4%
3/100Massachusetts 39.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNorfolk County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high216 min
15/100Massachusetts 216 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNorfolk County value
Comfortable days · low23.8%
21/100Massachusetts 24.3%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationNorfolk County value
Average commute time · high27.1 min
26/100Massachusetts 29.1 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
59,180 (2015-2019) → 63,266 (2020-2024)
+6.9%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Public transit commutersWorsening
30.3% (2015-2019) → 18.1% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B08301US 5.0% → 3.2%
Median household incomeImproving
$117,326 (2015-2019) → $142,101 (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
12.3% (2015-2019) → 8.7% (2020-2024)
−3.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
7.6% (2015-2019) → 4.7% (2020-2024)
−2.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
93.7% (2015-2019) → 96.1% (2020-2024)
+2.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Brookline, Massachusetts improved on 6 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved6

Commute−2.8 min29.8 min → 27.1 min
Poverty−3.5 points12.3% → 8.7%
Uninsured−1.2 points2.4% → 1.2%
Child poverty−2.8 points7.6% → 4.7%
Household income+21%$117,326 → $142,101

Declined1

Transit use−12 points30.3% → 18.1%

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Brookline, Massachusetts between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	29.8 min2015-2019	27.1 min2020-2024	−2.8 min	Improved	77%
Bachelor's degree or higher	83.5%2015-2019	85.4%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Broadband subscriptions	93.7%2015-2019	96.1%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Improved	17%
Child poverty rate	7.6%2015-2019	4.7%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Improved	60%
Effective property tax rate	0.75%2015-2019	0.80%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	10%
High school diploma or higher	97.4%2015-2019	97.6%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Home price to income ratio	8.0×2015-2019	8.8×2020-2024	+0.8×	Within the margin of error	30%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5292015-2019	0.5162020-2024	−0.013	Within the margin of error	62%
Median household income	$117,3262015-2019	$142,1012020-2024	+21%	Improved	35%
Poverty rate	12.3%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Improved	73%
Public transit commuters	30.3%2015-2019	18.1%2020-2024	−12 points	Declined	1%
Rent as share of income	29.4%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Rent-burdened households	48.5%2015-2019	46.9%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Unemployment rate	2.8%2015-2019	3.6%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	2.4%2015-2019	1.2%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Improved	61%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Brookline, Massachusetts five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brookline, Massachusetts in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Brookline, Massachusetts itself moved +0.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

63,266 residents (±43)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 30–39 women (+1.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

63,266 residents (±43)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

White64%40,566
Black3.0%1,890
Hispanic or Latino6.2%3,946

Education

43,676 residents (±947)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

No high school diploma2.4%†1,060
High school or GED4.8%2,101
Some college5.3%2,297

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

27,587 households (±731)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $25k10%2,868
$25k–50k8.2%2,272
$50k–75k8.1%2,233
$75k–100k8.7%2,402
$100k–150k17%4,558
$150k–200k11%2,951
$200k or more37%10,303

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+11.6 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

27,587 households (±731)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Own47%12,925
Rent53%14,662

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

14,436 households (±779)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $7509.7%†1,398
$750–1,0002.2%†317
$1,000–1,5004.5%†

Home values

12,925 homes (±689)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $150k1.4%†178
$150k–250k0.2%†32
$250k–400k1.6%†202

Age of homes

28,873 homes (±753)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

2010 or later3.1%898
2000–20094.1%1,184
1980–19996.8%1,956

Size of homes

28,873 homes (±753)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Studio5.8%1,674
1 bedroom22%6,345
2 bedrooms29%8,338

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

36,587 workers (±1,068)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Drive alone28%10,383
Carpool3.2%1,171
Public transit18%6,630
Walk15%5,436
Bike4.0%1,477
Work from home30%11,024
Other1.3%†466

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+22.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

25,563 workers (±1,141)

Brookline, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under 15 min17%4,269
15–29 min38%9,661
30–44 min31%7,872

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Norfolk County, the county holding most of Brookline's residents.

Norfolk County has 20,745 employer establishments, 284 for every 10,000 residents (1.14× the US rate of 248; 1.09× Massachusetts's), with 337,287 paid employees at an average annual pay of $76,922. The Census Bureau also counts 71,199 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 20,745; 71,199 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 284; US 248 · Massachusetts 260
Paid employees: 337,287
Average annual pay: $76,922; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Norfolk County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,747	23.9	1.15×About typical	20,763	$68,813	4,322
Specialty trade contractors	1,519	20.8	1.34×More than typical	15,786	$103,115	3,676
Restaurants and other eating places	1,501	20.5	1.12×About typical	26,042	$27,714	221
Lessors of real estate	899	12.3	1.00×About typical	5,949	$76,712	8,350
Construction of buildings	744	10.2	1.35×More than typical	3,949	$96,634	1,580
Building equipment contractors	675	9.2	1.54×More than typical	10,224	$109,986	918
Services to buildings and dwellings	675	9.2	1.37×More than typical	4,969	$58,813	1,786
Personal care services	658	9	1.89×More than typical	3,758	$32,916	1,833
Full-service restaurants	657	9	1.17×About typical	14,288	$30,774	85
Management, scientific and technical consulting	580	7.9	1.18×About typical	6,148	$100,550	4,674
Legal services	552	7.6	1.41×More than typical	2,174	$100,462	1,227
Limited-service restaurants	549	7.5	0.94×About typical	7,168	$25,997	93

Rank places for an industry Open Norfolk County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 730,453 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $3.2M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Brookline, Massachusetts: $49.94 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3.2M; −71% vs FY2025
Per resident: $49.94; US $1,994
Sole-source: 4.5%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Immediate Office of the Secretary of Transportation$1.7M54%
Department of the Navy$900K28%
Department of the Army$355.5K11%
National Park Service$151.8K4.8%
National Institutes of Health$78.8K2.5%
Social Security Administration$47.5K1.5%
Health Resources and Services Administration$10.8K0.3%
Offices, Boards and Divisions$7,4910.2%

Top recipients

STATE OF PLACE INC$1.7M54%
GEARJUMP TECHNOLOGIES LLC$900K28%
FRAUNHOFER USA INC$355.5K11%
ICARUS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC$98.9K3.1%
49CHESTNUT LLC$78.8K2.5%

Spending by fiscal year

964.1KFY2017
3MFY2018
2.3MFY2019
986.7KFY2020
2.5MFY2021
3.4MFY2022
729KFY2023
4.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$3M93%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$98.9K3.1%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$78.8K2.5%
Offices of physicians · 6211$58.3K1.8%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$52.9K1.7%
Legal services · 5411

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Brookline, Massachusetts

REPAIR EXTERIOR WOODWORK AND PAINT AT FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE$2.1M
ICARUS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC· Norfolk County, MA· Construction & real property· Sep 23, 2025 – Jun 23, 2026· 140P4325C0009
FRLA REPLACE SLATE ROOF AT OLMSTED NHS$2.1M
ICARUS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC· Norfolk County, MA· Construction & real property· Sep 11, 2024 – Jan 8, 2026· 140P4324C0002
FY26 PHASE II AWARD WITH STATE OF PLACE UNDER TOPIC AI FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND DESIGN (AI TPD).$1.7M
STATE OF PLACE INC· Norfolk County, MA· Research & development· Aug 21, 2026 – Aug 21, 2026· 6913G626C100015

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Brookline, Massachusetts, so they do not add up across cities.

Brookline, Massachusetts's figures are part of those of Norfolk County, MA ($265.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 1.2% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Brookline is mostly in Norfolk County.

See federal money in Norfolk County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Brookline, Massachusetts is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Norfolk County93100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH89

Other cities and towns in Norfolk County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2509210

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends