Compare towns
Boston vs Dedham vs Needham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Boston has the most renters (64.3% rent).
Dedham has the most affordable homes ($662k median).
Needham has the highest household income ($214k).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Boston | Dedham | Needham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 666,442Highest |
25,237Lowest |
32,459 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% MA: +7.4% |
+2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA |
44.6±1.6Highest 12% above MA |
43.1±1.6 8% above MA |
| Dedham and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
18.6%±1.9 MA: 19.4% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21.9%±2Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
55% MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1 MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
$128,955±$10k 24% above MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $731,700±$10k 30% above MA |
$661,800±$16kLowest 18% above MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,147±$25 22% above MA |
$2,042±$182Lowest 16% above MA |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
$7,918 32% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.2%±1.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
56.4%±10Highest MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5 MA: 51.8% |
| Dedham and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
5.6% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
73.4% MA: 62.5% |
83.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 4% above MA |
29 min about the MA average |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 21.3%±0.5 MA: 18.6% |
20%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #258 of 282 in MA | #119 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston | Dedham | — |
| High school in town | Boston Latin School | Dedham High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 18.7Highest |
10.4Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.