Boston, MA vs Brookline, MA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBoston, MABrookline, MA
Population666,44263,266
Median Household Income$97,344$142,101
Median Rent$2,147/mo$2,835/mo
Median Home Value$731,700$1,246,800
Cost of Living (US = 100)108108
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income48.6%45.4%
Poverty Rate16.6%8.7%
Unemployment Rate4.4%4.1% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k583124
Property Crime Rate /100k1,929724
Median AQI3739
Good AQI Days /yr279308
Summer Highs80°F82°F
Winter Lows26°F22°F
Snowfall49 in/yr49 in/yr
Avg Commute30.3 min27.1 min
Hospitals162
Avg Hospital Rating3.9 / 5—
Students per Teacher10.612.2
College Degree Rate54.9%85.4%
Foreign-Born %27.8%27.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-0.8%+6.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.