What stands out worked out from the figures below

Needham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.1%).

Northampton has the most affordable homes ($430k 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.

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

Measure	Needham	Northampton
People
Population	32,459Highest	30,962Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4%	+3.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA	41.3±2.2Lowest 3% above MA
	Needham and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%	16%±1.8Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9%	20.4%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Northampton and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	81.9%Highest MA: 47.3%	62.7%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%	14%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA	$80,288±$6kLowest 23% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA	$429,700±$17kLowest 24% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA	$1,439±$75Lowest 18% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA	$5,680Lowest 5% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	55.9%±8.5Lowest MA: 51.8%	57.6%±6.7Highest MA: 51.8%
	Northampton and Needham 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%	13.4%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	57.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA	1955Lowest 9 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 5% below MA	21 minLowest 26% below MA
Work from home	32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6%	24.1%±3.4Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#19 of 282 in MA	#159 of 282 in MA
School district	Needham	Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural
High school in town	Needham High	Northampton High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Lowest	14.7Highest
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.