Compare towns
Cornish vs Lyndeborough vs Needham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most affordable homes ($296k median).
Needham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.1%).
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 | Cornish | Lyndeborough | Needham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,816 |
1,616Lowest |
32,459Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
50±3.2 29% above U.S. |
43.1±1.6Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Lyndeborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.9%±5.3 U.S.: 22% |
27.5%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.6%±1.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornish and Lyndeborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
81.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Needham and Lyndeborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2kLowest 14% above U.S. |
$116,964±$17k 45% above U.S. |
$214,308±$13kHighest 165% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$390,900±$26k 17% above U.S. |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 257% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 14% below U.S. |
$1,482±$457 5% above U.S. |
$2,409±$183Highest 70% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796Lowest 86% above U.S. |
$7,133 129% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.9%±90 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.9%±8.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Needham and Lyndeborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
83.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
39 minHighest 48% above U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.7%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
32.4%±2.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #19 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Cornish School District | Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District | Needham |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Needham High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.9 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.