Residential tax rate
FY2026$10.24
per $1,000 of assessed value / year
Equivalent base rate 1.024%
Based on the municipal assessment. Exemptions, any CPA surcharge and other bill adjustments affect the final bill.
Official certified rates ↗
GREATER BOSTON · KELLY CUI
Brookline
Brookline is a town of its own, with its own schools, assessor, tax rate and parking rules, even though it sits next to several Boston neighborhoods.
HOME & LIVINGSCROLL TO EXPLORE ↓
A separate town organized along two Green Line branches.
West of Boston · COMMUNITY GUIDE
A separate town organized along two Green Line branches.
Brookline is a town of its own, with its own schools, assessor, tax rate and parking rules, even though it sits next to several Boston neighborhoods. Two Green Line branches give it a clear structure for a search, and many purchases here involve condominiums in early-twentieth-century buildings, where the building deserves as much scrutiny as the unit. This guide covers how to narrow the search and what to verify.
BROOKLINE · AT A GLANCE
Brookline at a glance
Population, housing and local identity.
- Population
- 63,414 July 1, 2025 estimate
- Median household income
- $142,101 2020–2024 · annual, in 2024 dollars
- Median owner-occupied home value
- $1,246,800 2020–2024 · Census housing value
- Median monthly gross rent
- $2,835 2020–2024 · gross rent per month
LOCAL IDENTITY
JFK’s birthplace
Brookline is an independent town in Norfolk County, incorporated in 1705. It is the birthplace of President John F. Kennedy.
- Municipality
- Town of Brookline
- County / State
- Norfolk County, Massachusetts
- Land area
- 6.76 sq mi (2020)
- Town incorporation
- 1705
Statistical definitions & official sources
Income is household income, not an individual salary. Home value is a Census estimate for owner-occupied housing, not a current sale-price median. Gross rent includes contract rent and applicable utility and fuel costs. These citywide statistics are not quotes for a specific home.
PROPERTY TAX & EXEMPTIONS
Property tax, clearly explained
Brookline · Latest certified rate as of 2026-10-29.
Owner-occupied exemption
Available · eligibility applies
Residential Exemption
The municipality has adopted a 20% exemption, calculated from its average residential assessed value. It is not 20% off your own home’s value or tax bill.
Ownership, principal-residence dates and application requirements must be met. Confirm the current-year amount with the assessor.
Official exemption information ↗Personal exemptions
Available · eligibility applies
Personal / Statutory Exemptions
Programs cover qualifying older residents, legally blind owners, certain veterans and eligible surviving spouses or minor children. Requirements differ by program.
Age, residency, ownership, income or assets may be considered. An individual owner is not automatically eligible; check the local application and deadline.
Eligibility & applications ↗Residential exemption adoption: Massachusetts DLS local-options report. Personal relief: the municipal assessor. Tax deferral postpones payment; it does not cancel the tax. DLS local options ↗
EXPLORE THE AREA
Map of Brookline
GETTING AROUND
Subway & rail in Brookline
STATIONS AT A GLANCE
Subway
Local stationsGreen Line C
Commuter Rail
Connections outside the areaSelected boarding points, grouped by line. Not every stop is shown; this is not a scale map.
View the network maps ↗Stations serving the area
Subway
The C branch runs along Beacon Street. The D branch serves a separate corridor through Brookline Village and Brookline Hills toward Reservoir and Newton. These are different station catchments.
MBTA · OFFICIAL MAP
Official MBTA Subway Map
The complete official rapid transit map, including key bus routes. Open the full-size map or PDF to read station names.
© MBTA · 2026-06-14 · Official network map. MBTA maps ↗
No station within the area
Commuter Rail
Brookline has no Commuter Rail station. If your journey needs regional rail, compare the connection to the appropriate Boston terminal or to a station outside town.
MBTA · OFFICIAL MAP
Official MBTA Commuter Rail Map
The complete official Commuter Rail network, with stations and Boston terminals. Use the route pages for current schedules and service changes.
© MBTA · 2025-03-24 · Official network map. MBTA maps ↗
Check which branch gets you closer to work, and whether the home is walkable to that branch rather than just to a rail line on the map.
Selected stations are shown above. Open the MBTA line or station page for the full route, current timetable, accessibility and parking. Service patterns can change.
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
Explore schools in Brookline
Compare schools listed in Brookline, including public charter schools where present. Confirm school assignment and eligibility for the exact home address, grade and school year.
CHECK THE EXACT ADDRESS
Brookline Public Schools
Use the district’s School Assignment page for address and buffer-zone guidance; the district confirms placement.
School locations in Brookline
Select a school or a map pin to see its address and school details.
Multiple levels
School names are shown on the map. Zoom in or filter by level to separate nearby labels. Multi-level schools appear in each relevant filter.
Loading map. School addresses and official links are also available in the cards below.
Locations, not attendance boundaries. One contact or main campus location is shown per school; some schools have additional campuses. Charter schools follow their own enrollment process. MassGIS ↗
Public school
Brookline Early Education Program at Beacon ↗
Brookline Early Education Program at Beacon is a public school in Brookline, serving pre-k.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
—Percentile 1–99No published 2026 MCAS results for these tested grades.
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
1187 Beacon St, Brookline MA 02445 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Pre-K
- Principal
- Margaret M Eberhardt
- Office phone
- 617-713-5471
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 41 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 9.4 : 1 · 2025-26
Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Brookline Early Education Program at Putterham ↗
Brookline Early Education Program at Putterham is a public school in Brookline, serving pre-k.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
—Percentile 1–99No published 2026 MCAS results for these tested grades.
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
194 Grove Street, Chestnut Hill MA 02467 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Pre-K
- Principal
- Margaret M Eberhardt
- Office phone
- 617-713-5471
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 48 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 7.9 : 1 · 2025-26
Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Brookline High ↗
Brookline High is a public school in Brookline, serving grade 9 – grade 12.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
88Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Grade 10
English language arts78%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics83%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
115 Greenough Street, Brookline MA 02445 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Grade 9 – Grade 12
- Principal
- Anthony Meyer
- Office phone
- 617-713-5003
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 2,147 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 11.9 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Grade 10ELA 50 · Math 56
Four-year graduation rate
96.2%Class of 2025 · All studentsShare of the cohort graduating within four years. Small cohorts and unavailable results may not be reported.
DESE graduation report ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Edith C Baker ↗
Edith C Baker is a public school in Brookline, serving k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
96Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts68%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics70%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
205 Beverly Rd, Chestnut Hill MA 02467 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- K – Grade 8
- Principal
- Saeed Ola
- Office phone
- 617-879-4500
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 663 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 14.8 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 60 · Math 62
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Florida Ruffin Ridley School ↗
Florida Ruffin Ridley School is a public school in Brookline, serving pre-k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
92Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts64%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics72%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
345 Harvard Street, Brookline MA 02446 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Pre-K – Grade 8
- Principal
- Sara C Yuen
- Office phone
- 617-879-4400
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 872 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 13.9 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 57 · Math 60
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
John D Runkle ↗
John D Runkle is a public school in Brookline, serving pre-k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
86Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts68%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics72%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
50 Druce Street, Brookline MA 02445 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Pre-K – Grade 8
- Principal
- Eris H Dunn
- Office phone
- 617-879-4650
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 476 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 12.9 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 54 · Math 53
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Lawrence ↗
Lawrence is a public school in Brookline, serving k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
98Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts74%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics80%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
27 Francis Street, Brookline MA 02446 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- K – Grade 8
- Principal
- Vanessa A Bilello
- Office phone
- 617-879-4303
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 624 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 14 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 59 · Math 70
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Michael Driscoll ↗
Michael Driscoll is a public school in Brookline, serving pre-k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
94Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts68%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics77%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
725 Washington St, Brookline MA 02446 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Pre-K – Grade 8
- Principal
- David C Youkilis
- Office phone
- 617-879-4250
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 554 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 13.6 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 60 · Math 72
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Pierce ↗
Pierce is a public school in Brookline, serving k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
98Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts71%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics74%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
50 School Street, Brookline MA 02446 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- K – Grade 8
- Principal
- Candice Whitmore
- Office phone
- 617-730-2583
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 587 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 13.3 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 63 · Math 62
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
Roland Hayes ↗
Roland Hayes is a public school in Brookline, serving pre-k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
87Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts68%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics67%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
100 Eliot Street, Chestnut Hill MA 02467 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Pre-K – Grade 8
- Principal
- Asa Sevelius
- Office phone
- 617-879-4570
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 423 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 13.4 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 54 · Math 56
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
The Lynch Center ↗
The Lynch Center is a public school in Brookline, serving pre-k.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
—Percentile 1–99No published 2026 MCAS results for these tested grades.
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
599 Brookline Avenue, Brookline MA 02445 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- Pre-K
- Principal
- Margaret M Eberhardt
- Office phone
- 617-713-5472
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 50 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 11 : 1 · 2025-26
Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
Public school
William H Lincoln ↗
William H Lincoln is a public school in Brookline, serving k – grade 8.
DESE school performance2026 · Accountability percentile
96Percentile 1–99MCAS 2026 · Tested grades 3–8
English language arts71%Meeting or exceeding expectations
Mathematics73%Meeting or exceeding expectations
A percentile is a relative standing, not a score out of 100. — means no published value.
19 Kennard Rd, Brookline MA 02445 ↗
School details & official resources
- School district
- Brookline
- School type
- Public school
- Grades in directory
- K – Grade 8
- Principal
- Brian Denitzio
- Office phone
- 617-879-4600
- School / district site
- Visit official website ↗
- Students
- 463 · 2025-26
- Students / teacher
- 12.6 : 1 · 2025-26
Student growth · MCAS 2026
Average Student Growth Percentile (SGP) compares progress with students who had similar prior test results. It is not the percentage meeting standards.
Tested grades 3–8ELA 65 · Math 63
DESE MCAS achievement & growth ↗Enrollment and student/teacher ratio are from the DESE 2025-26 profile. The ratio describes students per teacher, not students per classroom. DESE accountability percentiles compare schools serving similar grades and are not scores out of 100. A dash means no figure is reported.
No schools match these filters. Try another name or reset the filters.
Understand the numbers
Enrollment and student/teacher ratios use the stated school year. The 2026 DESE percentile runs from 1 to 99 and is not a score out of 100. A dash means the figure was not reported.
More school resources
GreatSchools and Niche publish their own ratings and reviews. Open their sites to search a school; those ratings are separate from DESE data.
School contacts and operating status: DESE school profiles, October 29, 2026. Enrollment and ratios: the year shown on each card. Accountability: DESE 2026, October 20 release. Addresses are official contact addresses; some schools have more than one campus. MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information), Commonwealth of Massachusetts EOTSS.
LIVING IN BROOKLINE
Homes & everyday life
Look closer at local homes, daily routines and ownership responsibilities.
01
Two branches, many centers
Brookline is a separate town from Boston, with its own public schools, assessor and tax rate. Much of its daily geography follows two Green Line branches. The C branch runs along Beacon Street with 12 stops from Saint Mary's Street to Englewood Avenue, including Coolidge Corner and Washington Square. The D branch stops at Longwood, Brookline Village, Brookline Hills, Beaconsfield and Reservoir.
Several of those stop names are also the names of commercial districts, which makes them useful starting points for a search. Choose a station, decide how far you are willing to walk and compare homes within that area.
02
The building matters as much as the unit
In older buildings, look past the unit's finishes to the building itself. Ask how the building is heated and whether heat is included in the fee, how old the roof, boiler and windows are, and what the association has planned and saved for. Check whether laundry, storage and parking are private, shared or not available; older buildings vary widely.
Homes built before 1978 come with the federal lead-paint disclosure, and Massachusetts adds its own lead-paint notification at sale. If you are also comparing single-family homes, review the same building systems, plus the lot, drainage and permits for any past additions.
03
Schools by lookup, parking by plan
The Public Schools of Brookline assign elementary students by address. The district's Where Am I tool returns the school for a given address, and some addresses fall in buffer zones, where the assignment can vary. Look up the exact address, and if it is in a buffer zone, plan for either outcome.
Brookline bans all-night parking on its streets. For residents without off-street parking, the Town rents 325 overnight spaces in 11 town-owned lots and the Courtyard Marriott, so confirm whether a home includes off-street parking before you assume you can park nearby. For commuting, the C and D branches reach downtown Boston by different routes; test the one you would use at the hour you would travel.
04
Tax, the residential exemption and building reserves
Brookline's FY2026 residential rate is $10.24 per $1,000 of assessed value, or $1,024 a year for each $100,000 of assessment. The Town offers a residential exemption to qualifying owner-occupants: for FY2026 it deducts $354,974 from the home's assessed value, which at that rate is worth about $3,635 a year. It requires an application, so a buyer who will live in the home should note the assessor's filing requirements. FY2027 rates and exemption amounts had not been certified at the time of writing.
In older condominium buildings, the monthly fee may include heat, and special assessments for roofs, masonry or boilers are the costs to ask about directly. Request the last two years of budgets and minutes and any reserve study the association has commissioned.
ON YOUR NEXT VISIT
What to check in person.
- ↗ C or D branch stop and walking distance
- ↗ Where Am I lookup and buffer-zone status
- ↗ Off-street parking included or not
- ↗ Heat, laundry and storage arrangements
- ↗ Budget, reserves and planned projects
- ↗ Residential exemption application if you will live there
PAST SALES
Closed sales in Brookline
All 4 published closed-sale records for Brookline, including seller and buyer representation. Each card identifies Kelly’s role and the closing date.
SoldVIEW PROPERTY ↗Brookline, MA
63 Longwood Ave#2
2 beds•1 bath•885 sq ft
Kelly · Buyer representation · Aug 31, 2026
MLS PIN #73476682
SoldVIEW PROPERTY ↗Brookline, MA
20 Chapel St#A503
1 bed•1 bath•780 sq ft
Kelly · Buyer representation · Apr 25, 2024
MLS PIN #73216984
SoldVIEW PROPERTY ↗Brookline, MA
231 Freeman St#2
2 beds•1 bath•952 sq ft
Kelly · Buyer representation · Apr 21, 2023
MLS PIN #73082515
SoldVIEW PROPERTY ↗Brookline, MA
50 Saint Paul St#5
2 beds•2 baths•1,060 sq ft
Kelly · Buyer representation · Aug 24, 2021
MLS PIN #72849938
Sources for this guide
MBTA · Green Line C branch ↗MBTA · Green Line D branch ↗Public Schools of Brookline · School assignment ↗Town of Brookline · Where Am I address lookup ↗Mass. DESE · Brookline district profile ↗Town of Brookline · Resident overnight parking ↗Town of Brookline · Residential exemptions ↗Town of Brookline · Assessors ↗Mass. DPH · Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification ↗Mass. DLS · Tax rates by class, FY2026 ↗
Official sources as of 2026-10-28. Tax figures are base amounts before exemptions, any Community Preservation Act surcharge or other bill adjustments; ask for the property’s latest bill. Figures such as tax rates and fares change; confirm school assignment, permits, zoning and travel for the exact address and intended date.
← All community guidesKELLY ON INSTAGRAM
