City safety & data profile

BrooklineMA

Brookline, MA is a 59K-resident city in Norfolk County with a median household income of $142,101.

Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Brookline, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Brookline has a population larger than 83% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $1,246,800, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-18

59K
Population
Top 17%
By size
$142,101
Median income
$1,246,800
Median home
8.7%
Poverty rate

The read on Brookline

Brookline posts a median household income higher than 91% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Brookline area.

Top 9%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Brookline

Where Brookline income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$142,101 Top 9% higher than 91% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). This entry sits in this band. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Brookline, MA beyond the headline numbers

Brookline sits inside Norfolk County, Massachusetts, at roughly 42.33°N, -71.12°W. Population 58,732, $142,101 median household income. Median home value $1,246,800, median rent $2,835. Poverty rate 8.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Brookline's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 30.5%, then high blood pressure at 24.6%. 2 hospitals in/around Brookline, 0 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Brookline from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
58,732
Brookline
Median Income
$142,101
+109% vs avg
Median Home Value
$1,246,800
+447% vs avg
Median Age
35.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Norfolk County) - Brookline's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
730K+8%
Median Income
$130,739+54%
Median Home Value
$683,900+75%
Poverty Rate
6.7%+2%
Unemployment
4.9%-37%

Economics

Economics indicators for Brookline, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,835/mo
Poverty Rate
8.7% -39% vs avg
Unemployment 3.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 85.4%
Work From Home 30.1%
Public Transit 18.1%

Population

White 65.1%
African American 3.1%
Asian 19.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
30.5%
High Blood Pressure
24.6%
Obesity
20.6%
Binge Drinking
17.8%
Frequent Mental Distress
13.6%
Physical Inactivity
13.5%
Current Asthma
10.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
8.6%
Diabetes
7%
Current Smoking
6.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 76.7%
Annual Checkup 80.5%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
4%
Lack of Health Insurance
3%
Stroke
2%

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Brookline, MA? ▼
Brookline, MA has a population of 58,732 people, located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in Brookline? ▼
The median household income in Brookline, MA is $142,101 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 8.7%.
What is the median home value in Brookline? ▼
The median home value in Brookline, MA is $1,246,800. Median rent is $2,835/month.
What are the top health concerns in Brookline? ▼
The top health indicators in Brookline include Short Sleep Duration (30.5%), High Blood Pressure (24.6%), Obesity (20.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Brookline? ▼
Brookline has 2 hospitals. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Brookline? ▼
The median age in Brookline, MA is 35.2 years. 85.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Brookline, MA is located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. With a population of 59K and a $142,101 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 2 hospitals. Safety alerts for the Brookline area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Massachusetts

Real-time AQI for every monitored Massachusetts location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Mission Hill, MA 19K Jamaica Plain, MA 37K Fenway/Kenmore, MA 38K Allston, MA 29K Roxbury Crossing, MA 15K Cambridgeport, MA 13K Back Bay, MA 18K Brighton, MA 46K
All cities in Massachusetts → Compare Brookline vs Mission Hill → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Brookline's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Brookline area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Brookline against Massachusetts peers on any ranking lens. Explore Massachusetts

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Norfolk County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.