Compare towns
Cochituate vs Natick vs Needham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cochituate has the most people working from home (36.9%).
Natick has the most renters (31.8% rent).
Needham has the most expensive homes ($1189k median).
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 | Cochituate | Natick | Needham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,471Lowest |
36,873Highest |
32,459 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+12.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+11.1% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.8±2.3Highest 15% above MA |
43.3±1.4 8% above MA |
43.1±1.6Lowest 8% above MA |
| Cochituate and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±2.7 MA: 19.4% |
21.2%±1.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Needham and Cochituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.6%±2.7 MA: 17.9% |
20.4%±1.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Natick and Cochituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 77% MA: 47.3% |
70.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5%±1 MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Needham and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $192,361±$18k 85% above MA |
$138,538±$11kLowest 33% above MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
| Needham and Cochituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $906,300±$42k 61% above MA |
$821,000±$25kLowest 46% above MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,582±$649Lowest 10% below MA |
$2,134±$124 21% above MA |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
| Needham and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$8,914Lowest 49% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.2%±14.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
41.7%±6.6 MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Needham and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.6% MA: 10% |
5.8%Highest MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.6%Highest MA: 62.5% |
68.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.1% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1957Lowest 7 yrs older than MA |
1968Highest 4 yrs newer than MA |
1965 1 yr newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 4% below MA |
31 minHighest 5% above MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 36.9%±5.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
25.1%±1.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4 MA: 18.6% |
| Cochituate and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #48 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Natick | Needham |
| High school in town | — | Natick High | Needham High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6Highest |
11.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.