Compare towns
Fairhaven vs Needham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fairhaven has the most affordable homes ($447k 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 | Fairhaven | Needham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 15,903Lowest |
32,459Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 48.5±3.4Highest 21% above MA |
43.1±1.6Lowest 8% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±2.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 24.9%±2.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $95,965±$19kLowest 8% below MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $446,700±$19kLowest 21% below MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,118±$79Lowest 37% below MA |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,566Lowest 40% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.1%±14Lowest MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Needham and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Highest MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest about the MA average |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 11.4%±3.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #126 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fairhaven | — |
| High school in town | Fairhaven High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.