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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Brookline

Massachusetts · 54,718 residents · 6.76 sq mi
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The short version

Brookline is a city of 54,718 people in Massachusetts. This is an unusually credentialed place: 64% of adults have a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $378,500. 43% of homes are owner-occupied. Households take in $45,598 a year at the median, 51% more than the country as a whole. Renters pay $671 a month at the median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 35.0
US median: 33.0
More educated
64% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Less affordable
home values up 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

54,718
−4%vs 2000
vs 57,107 in 2000
1990 – 2024
35.0
+1%vs 2000
vs 34.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
6.76 sq mi
Population, 19902024
54K56K59K62K64K19902000201020202024Brookline
202463K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 54.8%(2,612)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 94.2%(2,287)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 144.2%(2,274)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 194.9%(2,658)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 249.5%(5,196)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3422.6%(12,379)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4416.7%(9,146)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.3%(5,636)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.2%(3,965)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.7%(3,675)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 846.3%(3,447)
US avg: 4%
85 and over2.6%(1,443)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$45,598
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $66,711 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$29,044
−34%vs 2000
vs $44,327 in 2000
US average: $14,340
8.6%
−0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 9.3% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$378,500
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $395,300 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$671
−30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $1,262 in 2000
US average: $450
43.1%
−2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 45.3% in 2000
56.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic78.7%(44,922)
Black2.6%(1,501)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(2,018)
Asian12.8%(7,303)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic87.5%(47,886)
Black3%(1,636)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(1,914)
Asian8.2%(4,512)
Other1.3%(684)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
South American1.7%(1,088)
Puerto Rican0.9%(593)
Mexican0.9%(591)
Cuban0.7%(426)
Ecuadorian0.6%(366)
Dominican0.5%(313)
Spaniard0.5%(289)
Salvadoran0.4%(249)
Colombian0.4%(242)
Venezuelan0.3%(179)
Guatemalan0.2%(141)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(93)
Peruvian0.1%(71)
Argentine0.1%(61)
Bolivian0.1%(41)
Honduran0%(27)
Asian origin
Chinese7.9%(4,979)
Asian Indian3.8%(2,379)
Korean2.6%(1,642)
Japanese1.8%(1,129)
Pakistani0.6%(398)
Taiwanese0.4%(267)
Filipino0.3%(212)
Vietnamese0.3%(180)
Sri Lankan0.2%(135)
Thai0.2%(125)
Nepalese0.1%(47)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
Irish12.4%(7,864)
English8.8%(5,541)
German8.2%(5,213)
Italian6.3%(4,002)
Russian4.3%(2,716)
Polish3.9%(2,441)
American2.6%(1,617)
Scottish2.3%(1,445)
French1.9%(1,232)
Arab1.9%(1,192)
Portuguese1.1%(725)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian0.9%(599)
Norwegian0.8%(528)
Ukrainian0.8%(515)
Greek0.8%(505)
Israeli0.7%(473)
Swedish0.7%(468)
Hungarian0.7%(419)
West Indian0.7%(419)
British0.7%(415)
Dutch0.6%(396)
Welsh0.6%(362)
Lebanese0.5%(334)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(333)
Danish0.5%(308)
Romanian0.5%(304)
Lithuanian0.5%(299)
Swiss0.4%(267)
Turkish0.4%(253)
Jamaican0.4%(229)
Canadian0.4%(222)
Finnish0.3%(221)
Austrian0.3%(215)
Brazilian0.3%(207)
Croatian0.3%(202)
Nigerian0.3%(176)
Bulgarian0.3%(171)
Armenian0.3%(163)
Ethiopian0.2%(150)
Jordanian0.2%(147)
Czech0.2%(126)
Haitian0.2%(124)
Slovak0.2%(98)
Moroccan0.2%(97)
Syrian0.2%(97)
Cape Verdean0.2%(96)
Belgian0.1%(81)
Egyptian0.1%(70)
Latvian0.1%(54)
Serbian0.1%(46)
Barbadian0.1%(37)
Iraqi0.1%(36)
Guyanese0.1%(36)
Kenyan0%(13)
Section 05

Education

63.7%
−13.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 76.9% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
93.2%
−3.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 96.3% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
34.6%
−10.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 45.3% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

25.6 min
+46%vs 2000
vs 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married40.5%(9,551)
Married53.2%(12,558)
Widowed1.8%(421)
Divorced4.5%(1,060)
Women 15+
Never married44.1%(13,124)
Married42%(12,515)
Widowed6.8%(2,030)
Divorced7.1%(2,103)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

1.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2013
from 1.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
74.5%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 71.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.4%
−3.3 ptssince 2020
from 20.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
15.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 15.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
8.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 8.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
88.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 87.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
21.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)29.1%(303)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.2%(169)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.7%(320)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.4%(15)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3%(31)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,041 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Brookline, Massachusetts?

Brookline, Massachusetts has about 54,718 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Brookline, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Brookline, Massachusetts earns about $45,598 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Brookline, Massachusetts expensive?

In Brookline, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $378,500, and the typical rent is about $671 a month.

How educated are people in Brookline, Massachusetts?

About 63.7% of adults age 25 and over in Brookline, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Brookline, Massachusetts?

About 8.6% of people in Brookline, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →