Brighton is a former town and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States,[1] located in the northwestern corner of the city.

The neighborhood of Allston was also formerly part of the town of Brighton, but is now often considered to be separate, leading to the name Allston–Brighton for the combined area.

The Aberdeen section of Brighton was designated as a local architectural conservation district by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 2001.

[4] In 1634, the Massachusetts Bay Colony transferred ownership of the south side of the Charles River, including present-day Allston–Brighton and Newton, from Watertown to Newtowne,[4] which was soon renamed Cambridge.

In 1646, Reverend John Eliot established a "Praying Indian" village on the present Newton–Brighton boundary, where resided local natives converted to Christianity.

Its inhabitants included wealthy Boston merchants such as Benjamin Faneuil (after whom a street in Brighton is named).

According to the Census Bureau, Brighton, defined by zip code 02135, has a population of 43,887 and a land area of 2.78 square miles (7.2 km2).

The largest measured age cohort is 25–34, which comprises 36.4% of the population (note: depending on methodology, college students might not be counted).

[8] As of 2020[update], the median home price was $542,900 compared with $291,700 for the country as a whole, and the cost of living was 30% higher than the national average.

[8] According to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the largest ancestry groups in ZIP Code 02135 are:[11][9] Brighton is home to many Boston Public Schools: Brighton was home to many Catholic schools, many of which have closed: Our Lady of the Presentation in Oak Square (closed 2005), Saint Gabriel's, behind Saint Elizabeth Medical Center (closed 1970), Saint Sebastian's School in the Oak Square Heights (moved to Needham in 1977).

Brighton is home to the Everest Institute, Saint John's Seminary and portions of Boston College.