What stands out worked out from the figures below

Needham has the highest household income ($214k).

Malden has the most renters (58.7% 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	Malden
People
Population	32,459Lowest	65,906Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.1%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA	35.8±1Lowest 11% below MA
Kids under 18	27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%	18.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	17.7%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±1.2Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	81.9%Highest MA: 47.3%	45.1%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%	9.1%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA	$100,606±$6kLowest 3% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA	$633,500±$26kLowest 13% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA	$2,204±$62Lowest 25% above MA
	Needham and Malden 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	$4,995Lowest 17% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±4.6Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Needham and Malden 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%	11.4%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	41.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 5% below MA	34 minHighest 18% above MA
Work from home	32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6%	19.8%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#19 of 282 in MA	#184 of 282 in MA
School district	Needham	Malden
High school in town	Needham High	Malden High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Lowest	16.1Highest
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.