Residential comparison · 13 facts
Boston, MA vs Brookline, MA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Boston needs about $77,500 in Brookline to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Brookline, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $92,500 in Boston.
A few differences
- Boston is lower on property tax rate (0.65% vs 1.14%).
- Brookline is lower on groceries index (108 vs 110).
- Brookline is higher on median household income ($142,101 vs $89,000).
Boston vs Brookline · facet by facet
| Facet | Boston, MA | Brookline, MA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $750,000 | $1,246,800 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,400/mo | $3,141/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.65% | 1.14% |
| State & local income tax | 5% | 5% |
| Sales tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Cost of living index | 152 | 180 |
| Groceries index | 110 | 108 |
| Utilities | $235/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $142,101 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.6% |
| Crime index | 40/100 | 30/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days | 200 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Boston, MA · Brookline, MA
Questions & answers
- Is Boston cheaper than Brookline?
- Boston has the lower day-to-day cost index (152 vs 180 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Brookline equals $85,000 in Boston?
- A household earning $85,000 in Boston needs about $77,500 in Brookline to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Brookline lifestyle costs about $92,500 in Boston.