Compare towns
Middleton vs Wakefield vs Needham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middleton has the most homeowners (92.7%).
Wakefield has the most renters (29.3% 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 | Middleton | Wakefield | Needham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,816Lowest |
27,793 |
32,459Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8% MA: +7.4% |
+8.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±2Highest 8% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 18.1%±2.9 MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Wakefield and Middleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
59.7% MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Needham and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $167,402±$29k 61% above MA |
$134,306±$14kLowest 29% above MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $742,700±$48k 32% above MA |
$723,500±$24kLowest 29% above MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,407±$284Lowest 20% below MA |
$1,958±$102 11% above MA |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,785 47% above MA |
$7,779Lowest 30% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.7%±25.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9 MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Needham and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.9%Highest MA: 10% |
3.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.1% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1965 1 yr newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 3% above MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.5%±3.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #71 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Middleton | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | Needham |
| High school in town | None in town | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | Needham High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7Lowest |
11.9Highest |
| 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.