What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pittsfield has the most affordable homes ($257k 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.

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

Measure	Pittsfield	Needham
People
Population	43,457Highest	32,459Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.8%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.4±2Lowest 6% above MA	43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA
	Needham and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.6%±1.4Lowest MA: 19.4%	27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	19.4%±1.5Highest MA: 17.9%	17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Pittsfield and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.2%Lowest MA: 47.3%	81.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%	5.4%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Pittsfield and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,582±$5kLowest 32% below MA	$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$256,900±$8kLowest 54% below MA	$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,134±$61Lowest 36% below MA	$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,148Lowest 31% below MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.8%±5.7Lowest MA: 51.8%	55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8%
	Needham and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.9%Highest MA: 10%	3.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	62.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%	83.1%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA	1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 36% below MA	28 minHighest 5% below MA
Work from home	10.2%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6%	32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#251 of 282 in MA	#19 of 282 in MA
School district	Pittsfield	Needham
High school in town	Taconic High	Needham High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.3Lowest	11.9Highest
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.