Signals
Lawrence
Brookline
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs92 · Top 9%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 2%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs92 · Top 2%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs73 · Top 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawrence | Brookline | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,736 | 63,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,433 | $142,101 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,249 | $96,682 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 12,805/sq mi | 9,362/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $415,200 | $1,246,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,662 | $2,835 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.1% | 46.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 85.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.6% | 8.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 83°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 29.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.6 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 35 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.79 | 13.03 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.1% | 64.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.1% | 71.4% | 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
Lawrence
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Brookline
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Lawrence, MA · Brookline, MA · How this is calculated: methodology