Health Profile of Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A+
Brookline Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 82.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 1.0% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 6.6% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Brookline is 82.5 years, about 2.1 years longer than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 1.0%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 6.6% of residents, lower than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
19,518 residents in Brookline are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,251 428 men · 823 women
- 75–84 3,026 1,278 men · 1,748 women
- 65–74 5,235 2,177 men · 3,058 women
- 50–64 10,006 4,696 men · 5,310 women
Younger residents
11,221 residents in Brookline are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,355 1,836 boys · 1,519 girls
- 7–12 3,283 1,686 boys · 1,597 girls
- 3–7 2,588 1,268 boys · 1,320 girls
- 0–3 1,995 974 boys · 1,020 girls
About 1,952 residents in Brookline (3.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 82.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.0% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.6% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 3.7% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 20.9% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Brookline is about 37% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of diabetes in Brookline is about 30% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of cancer in Brookline is about 19% lower than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 7.6% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.1% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 13.5% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Brookline is about 45% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Brookline is about 33% lower than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 39,091 cigarettes a day, 1.2 million a month, or 14.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 430,005 minutes a day and 157.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Brookline is 82.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.62 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.03 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Brookline is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Brookline, MA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
Brookline, MA is the 4th largest of the 6 cities compared here, 63,198 residents against a local median of 81,027. The measure that sets Brookline, MA apart most is uninsured: 1.0%, 39% below the local median of 1.7%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread 0.7% on uninsured, so Brookline, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Brookline, MA has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookline, MA | 63,198 | 82.5 yrs #3/6 | 1.0% #1/6 | 20.9% #6/6 |
| Cambridge, MA | 117,266 | 82.1 yrs | 1.7% | 19.1% |
| Watertown, MA | 35,594 | 81.8 yrs | 1.3% | 20.2% |
| Newton, MA | 88,909 | 84.7 yrs | 1.3% | 18.9% |
| Somerville, MA | 81,027 | 80.6 yrs | 1.9% | 20.2% |
| Belmont, MA | 27,165 | 83.1 yrs | 1.8% | 19.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Brookline, Massachusetts has an overall health index grade of A+, making it notably better than Massachusetts, and far better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Brookline, Massachusetts.
What is the health grade for Brookline, Massachusetts?
Brookline, Massachusetts has a Map AI Health Index grade of A+, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A+ grade means residents are among the healthiest and longest-living in the country.
How long do people live in Brookline, Massachusetts?
People in Brookline, Massachusetts can expect to live 82.5 years on average, 2.1 years longer than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Brookline, Massachusetts?
1.0% of residents in Brookline, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 96 people, 1.5 points below the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What percentage of Brookline, Massachusetts residents are obese?
20.9% of adults in Brookline, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 4.7 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Brookline, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 39,091 cigarettes a day, 1.2 million a month, or 14.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 430,005 minutes a day and 157.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Brookline is 82.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.62 lifetimes a year.
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