Rents are right about where Brookline's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $3,488 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
October. Asking rents in Brookline usually run 2.2% below trend in October and 1.1% above it in March, about $115 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Brookline is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Brookline changed +5.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 89 Massachusetts cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.8%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Brookline rose 25.7% while median household income rose 21.1% ($117,326 to $142,101). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Brookline is 30.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($142,101) is $3,553 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($3,310); a 2-bedroom is $3,923.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Brookline, 02467 ($3,731/mo), costs 8% more than the cheapest, 02445 ($3,439/mo).
Watertown, 4 miles away, rents for 11% less ($3,101/mo), about $4,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Brookline. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Brookline, MA is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 85.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Brookline, MA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Brookline, MA has shifted from $2,530 to $3,488, up 37.9% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $122,356 to $142,101 between 2021 and 2024, a 16.1% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Brookline, MA adding about 646 residents over the five-year window, up 1.0% on net. Taken together, the five-year picture in Brookline, MA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Brookline on your salary?
At $3,488/mo, how Brookline rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Brookline rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Brookline. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Brookline
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Brookline is $3,488/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $3,133/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,923/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $3,310/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $4,723/mo.
At 29% of local median household income ($142,101/yr), Brookline ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 5.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Brookline rent compare to other cities in Massachusetts?
At $3,488/mo, rent takes ~29% of Brookline's median household income ($142,101/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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