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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Brookline, MA Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q4 2023. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Brookline, MA Housing Market Trends

With a population of 62,535, 26,919 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $1,547,268, Brookline house prices are not only among the most expensive in Massachusetts, Brookline real estate also is some of the most expensive in all of America.

Large apartment complexes or high rise apartments are the single most common housing type in Brookline, accounting for 52.34% of the town's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Brookline include duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 24.44%), single-family detached homes ( 17.88%), and a few row houses and other attached homes ( 5.31%). This particular housing mix is relatively uncommon and characteristic of towns that are compact and walkable, and which often have a lively downtown.

People in Brookline primarily live in small (one, two or no bedroom) units, chiefly found in large apartment complexes or high rise apartments. Brookline has a mixture of owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing.

The housing in Brookline was primarily built before 1939 ( 49.77%), making the housing stock in Brookline some of the oldest overall in America, although there is a range of ages of homes in Brookline. The next most important housing age is between 1940-1969 ( 24.65%), followed by between 1970-1999 ( 18.97%). There's also some housing in Brookline built between 2000 and later ( 6.60%).

Brookline Home Appreciation Rates

Appreciation rates for homes in Brookline have been tracking above average for the last ten years, according to NeighborhoodScout data. The cumulative appreciation rate over the ten years has been 92.49%, which ranks in the top 40% nationwide. This equates to an annual average Brookline house appreciation rate of 6.77%.

NeighborhoodScout's data show that during the latest twelve months, Brookline's appreciation rate, at 6.13%, has been at or slightly above the national average. In the latest quarter, Brookline's appreciation rate has been 1.11%, which annualizes to a rate of 4.52%.

Relative to Massachusetts, our data show that Brookline's latest annual appreciation rate is lower than 80% of the other cities and towns in Massachusetts.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the town. Individual neighborhoods within Brookline differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Brookline - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Brookline real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$1,547,268

Brookline, MA Home Prices
> $1,245,000
$934,001 - $1,245,000
$623,001 - $934,000
$498,001 - $623,000
$374,001 - $498,000
$249,001 - $374,000
$125,001 - $249,000
$62,001 - $125,000
$0 - $62,000
63.2%
63.2%
18.8%
18.8%
11.5%
11.5%
3.4%
3.4%
1.0%
1.0%
1.1%
1.1%
0.3%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.7%
0.7%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Very High

for Massachusetts

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

26,919

Brookline Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$5,201 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
45.3%
45.3%
54.7%
54.7%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
5.7%
5.7%
94.3%
94.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
6.6%
6.6%
19.0%
19.0%
24.7%
24.7%
49.8%
49.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
17.9%
17.9%
5.3%
5.3%
24.4%
24.4%
52.3%
52.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
5.5%
5.5%
21.6%
21.6%
30.3%
30.3%
22.8%
22.8%
12.3%
12.3%
7.5%
7.5%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes