At a glance

Brookline, MA had a population of 59.2k people in 2018, a .02% decrease from 2017. With a median age of 34 and a median household income of $113,515, Brookline is a thriving city for young and middle-age professionals. Homeownership rate has kept at a steady 50% the last few years, with many new families and graduate students residing together.

Source1; Source2; Source3

Housing Construction

The following graph shows the overwhelming majority of houses in Brookline were built before 1939. The second largest decade of building development, the 1970’s, contains only a third of the amount of construction done before 1939, further enhancing Brookline’s quaint historic aesthetic. While no public data for the age of each building is available, most of the oldest buildings were built in the south-west and north-east of the city.

Fun Fact! Brookline residents take pride in the historical architecture and many have their house listed as historic, meaning all renovations done will compliment the original architecture.

Housing Today

The map below shows housing densities of the districts of Brookline along with the building footprints of the city. Toggle on and off the building footprint layer to see how Brookline divides residential and business areas!

According to the 2010 Census, Brookline is comprised of 12 districts, or “neighborhoods”, that contain around 23,800 houses combined.

\(\bullet\) Districts in the northeast and the south show the largest density of houses, while the districts in the middle have the lowest density.

\(\bullet\) The red and yellow districts contain the fewest number of occupied houses, but they also contain a large majority of community, retail, commercial, libraries, medical facilities, and school buildings along with the larger parks.

Affordable Housing Look-up

Below is a flowchart of Affordable Housing in Brookline. Simply click on your target population, preferred financing option, and find names and addresses of verified Affordable Housing Sites in Brookline!

There are plenty of affordable housing options for all people, regardless of financial consideration. All acronyms (and similar variations) are described below.

\(\underline{Target \space Population}\)

\(\bullet\) Single-Room-Occupants(SRO): SRO units are reserved for individuals who are living in shelters or transitional programs and are ready to move into permanent housing. SRO+ is a similar program, but for those who are willing to room with other SRO seekers. Individuals typically must be on or eligible for the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) waitlist and meet certain other requirements.

\(\underline {Housing \space Type}\)

\(\bullet\) Owner Occupied: owned by private individual

\(\bullet\) Subs.- Private Inv. (rentals): subsidized housing rentals owned by private investors

\(\bullet\) Public-BHA: public housing rentals owned by Brookline Housing Association

\(\bullet\) Subs.-nonprofits(rentals): subsidized housing rentals owned by nonprofits

\(\underline {Financing}\)

A low or moderate income household is an individual or family with an annual income less than or equal to 80% of the area median income (AMI). The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) releases income limits by geographical areas annually. Current AMI’s are found here.

\(\bullet\) Inclusionary Zoning: With an emphasis on family housing, and preventing the displacement of Brookline residents, it increase the supply of housing that is available and affordable to low or moderate income households.

\(\bullet\) Brookline HOME/CDBG: Brookline Community Development Block Grant Program. Funds and oversees community development initiatives for eligible populations in eligible areas of Brookline.

\(\bullet\) 40B MassHousing Partnership: Chapter 40B, the state’s regional planning law, seeks to ensure that all 351 of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income working households and older adults. Click here for more information.

\(\bullet\) MHFA Federal Section 236 and Section 236/LIHTC(121A): HUD subsidizes the interest on an owner’s mortgage. HUD sets a basic rent and the tenant must pay at least either the basic rent or 30% of income, whichever is higher. click here for more information.

Property Values

In a single year, Brookline’s median property value increased \(56,400\), growing to $885,700. Compared to surrounding areas (Allston, Brighton, Fenway,Cambridge, Jamaica Plains, etc.), Brookline has the highest property value. Even when compared to the entirety of the US (bottom most line), Brookline still comes in first.

\(\bullet\) The line similar to Brookline is Newton City, also considered a part of Brookline City

\(\bullet\) The rest of the surrounding areas, including Boston, all fall within the same $1,000 median value range. That range, however, is beginning to expand.