Needham, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Needham, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Needham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,445 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2550.4 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.93% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.2 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,580 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Needham grew by 10.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 32,445 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Needham is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.2% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,410 16.7% -4.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,785 17.8% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,854 24.2% +3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,237 16.1% -1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.0% of the people living in Needham and men 48.0%.
- Women 52.0% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.0% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Needham has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Needham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $202,463 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.64% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Needham is about 94% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Needham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $58,562 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,408 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Needham is about 2.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,408 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Needham spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 230 hours, about 9.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Needham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.6 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.2 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 230 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,130 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 32.4% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 27,174 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,715 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Needham is 28 minutes, longer than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Needham has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Needham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 75.9% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Needham has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Needham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.8 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.1% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 7.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Needham, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Needham, MA is typical in size for this group, 32,445 residents against a local median of 30,956, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Needham, MA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 90% below the local median of $585,174 at $58,562.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $202,463 against a local median of $161,052, 26% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 26% above the local median it puts Needham, MA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $550,703 on median home price, so Needham, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Needham, MA has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needham, MA | 32,445 | $202,463 #2/5 | $58,562 #5/5 | 27.6 min #3/5 |
| Wellesley, MA | 30,372 | $208,894 | $541,322 | 25.8 min |
| Newton, MA | 88,909 | $190,683 | $1,092,024 | 25.1 min |
| Dedham, MA | 25,193 | $131,420 | $545,348 | 28.7 min |
| Norwood, MA | 31,539 | $106,206 | $625,000 | 30.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Needham, Massachusetts.
How big is Needham, Massachusetts by population?
About 32,445 people live in Needham, Massachusetts, in 11,580 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Needham, Massachusetts?
Averaged over its land area, Needham, Massachusetts has 2,550 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 30 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Needham, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($58,562 against $202,463), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $2,408 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Needham, Massachusetts?
75.9% of adults in Needham, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 8 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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