Signals
Brookline
Cambridge
Climate
65 · Bottom 36%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
43 · Bottom 6%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Schools
92 · Top 2%
vs74 · Top 21%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Brookline | Cambridge | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 63,266 | 118,796 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $142,101 | $130,748 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $96,682 | $78,723 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,362/sq mi | 18,571/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,246,800 | $1,092,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,835 | $2,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.9% | 33.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 85.4% | 80.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 12.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 30.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.03 | 9.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 64.5% | 37.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 71.4% | 54.6% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Brookline
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Cambridge
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Brookline, MA · Cambridge, MA · How this is calculated: methodology