PlainZIP

Brighton, MA · standard

ZIP Code 02135

Suffolk County, Massachusetts - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

42,780
6,271/sq mi
$90,829
Median income
$681,200
Median home value
72.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Brighton pairs an above-median household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.

Top 26%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 7%
home value, US ZIPs
6,271
people per sq mi
23%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02135 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 02135 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Brighton, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, with 42,780 residents across 6.8 square miles, a density of 6,271 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 02135 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $90,829 (21% below the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $55,184. Poverty here runs at 18.4%, with unemployment measured at 3.4%. The typical home here is valued at $681,200 (14% above the state average); renters pay a median of $2,249 monthly, and 23.3% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 72.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.4, and the average commute is 32 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Suffolk County, so you can benchmark 02135 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 02135

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Brighton, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 02135.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 02135, Brighton, MA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

42,780

Population

6.8

Area (sq mi)

6,271

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 02135?

30.4

Median Age

47.9%

Male

52.1%

Female

27.8%

Foreign-Born

White 60.4%
African American 6.1%
Asian 17.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$90,829

Median Household Income

-21% vs state

$55,184

Per Capita Income

18.4%

Poverty Rate

3.4%

Unemployment Rate

32.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 02135 ranks nationally

Brighton, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$90,829 Top 26% higher than 74% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 82.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 72.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

22,379

Total Housing Units

21,143

Occupied Units

1,236

Vacant Units

1.97

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 23.3%
Renter 76.7%

$681,200

Median Home Value

+14% vs state

$2,249

Median Rent

1956

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+8.7%

YoY Change (2024)

299

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+199%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 02135 have increased 8.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +199% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +1.5% 235
2021 +0.7% 236
2022 +4.8% 247
2023 +11.1% 275
2024 +8.7% 299

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 652 business establishments in ZIP 02135, employing approximately 16,744 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,662,954,000.

652

Businesses

16,744

Employees

$1.7B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 101 15.5%
Other services (except public administration) 83 12.7%
Health care and social assistance 76 11.7%
Retail trade 70 10.7%
Construction 62 9.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 59 9.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 53 8.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 27 4.1%
Educational services 25 3.8%
Information 24 3.7%
Finance and insurance 20 3.1%
Transportation and warehousing 15 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 14 2.1%
Wholesale trade 9 1.4%
Manufacturing 6 0.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 02135 vs 02134 →

ZIP 02135 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 02135 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 02135 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 02135 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
02134 Allston, MA 21,503 1.4 mi
02458 Newton, MA 12,131 1.7 mi
02446 Brookline, MA 29,311 1.7 mi
02467 Chestnut Hill, MA 22,491 2.3 mi
02472 Watertown, MA 32,014 1.8 mi
02445 Brookline, MA 20,679 1.9 mi
02138 Cambridge, MA 36,314 2.3 mi
02163 Boston, MA 2,582 2.0 mi
02215 Boston, MA 26,125 2.6 mi
02460 Newtonville, MA 8,742 2.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Suffolk County

02151 standard
Revere, MA
Pop: 51,808
02124 standard
Dorchester Center, MA
Pop: 47,783
02128 standard
East Boston, MA
Pop: 40,508
02130 standard
Jamaica Plain, MA
Pop: 35,401
02150 standard
Chelsea, MA
Pop: 35,124
02125 standard
Dorchester, MA
Pop: 33,295

Related Areas

Suffolk County Brighton, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 02135 in? ▼
ZIP code 02135 (Brighton) is located in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Suffolk County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/suffolk-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 02135? ▼
ZIP code 02135 in Brighton, MA has a population of 42,780 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02135? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 02135 is $90,829, which is 19% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 02135? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 02135 is $681,200, which is 145% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02135? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 02135 is White at 60.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02135? ▼
ZIP code 02135 has 652 business establishments employing approximately 16,744 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 02135? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 02135 are: Accommodation and food services (101), Other services (except public administration) (83), Health care and social assistance (76). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 02135? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 02135 increased by 8.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 199%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 02135? ▼
In ZIP code 02135, 82.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 72.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 02135? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 02135 is 32.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 02135? ▼
In ZIP code 02135, approximately 23.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 76.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02135? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02135 is 18.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.