What stands out worked out from the figures below

Needham has the most homeowners (83.1%).

Boston has the most renters (64.3% rent).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Needham	Boston
People
Population	32,459Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	17.7%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	81.9%Highest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA	$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA	$731,700±$10kLowest 30% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA	$2,147±$25Lowest 22% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA	$4,456Lowest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Needham and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.7%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 5% below MA	30 minHighest 4% above MA
Work from home	32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#19 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	—	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	—	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	18.7
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.