Brookline, Massachusetts Housing Market Prices
Brookline Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 151% above the Massachusetts median$1,239,921
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Median rent 61% above the Massachusetts median$2,834
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,239,921 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 15.3% | 6.6% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,834 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.5% | 5.7% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Brookline is about 151% higher than in Massachusetts. Rent is about 61% higher than the Massachusetts average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Brookline, up about 15.3% and 4.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Brookline rose about 49.5% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,896 to $2,834. Over the same span, rent in Massachusetts rose about 59.8%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 8.6 yearly household incomes in Brookline.
Buying the median-priced home in Brookline costs roughly 36.5 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Brookline. The price-to-rent ratio in Massachusetts is about 23.4.
| Metric | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,239,921 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $143,651 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 8.6 | 4.7 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Brookline rose about 157.0%, while median household income rose about 50.3% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 44.8% | 57.5% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 50.8% | 34.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.5% | 8.1% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 11.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2015 | 2010 | 2011 |
Brookline has a homeownership rate of 44.8%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 57.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.5%, compared with 8.1% in Massachusetts.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Brookline | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.24 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1947 | 1963 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Brookline was built around 1947. On average, 2.2 people live in a home with about 4.7 rooms, staying for about 11.0 years on average.
Brookline, MA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities
Brookline, MA is the smallest of the 4 cities compared here, 63,198 residents against a local median of 88,909. The measure that sets Brookline, MA apart most is median home price: $1,239,921, 83% above the local median of $678,104.
Homeownership tells the same story from another angle: 46.8% against a local median of 34.2%, 37% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is homeownership, and at 37% above the local median it puts Brookline, MA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $546,436 on median home price, so Brookline, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Brookline, MA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookline, MA | 63,198 | $1,239,921 #1/4 | $2,834 #1/4 | 46.8% #2/4 |
| Cambridge, MA | 117,266 | $678,104 | $2,785 | 33.5% |
| Newton, MA | 88,909 | $1,092,024 | $2,369 | 70.0% |
| Somerville, MA | 81,027 | $545,588 | $2,519 | 34.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Brookline, Massachusetts.
What is the median home price in Brookline, Massachusetts?
The median home price in Brookline, Massachusetts is $1,239,921, higher than the Massachusetts average of $494,523.
What is the average home price in Brookline, Massachusetts?
The typical home price in Brookline, Massachusetts, reported as the median sale price, is $1,239,921. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Brookline, Massachusetts?
The median gross rent in Brookline, Massachusetts is $2,834 per month, higher than the Massachusetts average of $1,761.
What was the median gross rent in Brookline in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Brookline, Massachusetts was $2,305 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Brookline, Massachusetts?
The price-to-rent ratio in Brookline, Massachusetts is about 36.5, meaning it would take roughly 36.5 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Brookline.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Brookline, Massachusetts?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Brookline, up about 15.3% and 4.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Brookline, Massachusetts?
44.8% of households in Brookline, Massachusetts own their home, lower than the Massachusetts average of 57.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in Brookline, Massachusetts?
The housing vacancy rate in Brookline, Massachusetts is 4.5%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 8.1%.
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