Compare towns
Quincy vs Needham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Quincy has the most affordable homes ($619k median).
Needham has the highest household income ($214k).
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 | Quincy | Needham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 102,114Highest |
32,459Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.6±0.8Lowest 4% below MA |
43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 14.5%±1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 17.7%±1.1 MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $98,882±$5kLowest 5% below MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $618,500±$14kLowest 10% above MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,118±$59Lowest 20% above MA |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,381Lowest 6% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.7%±3.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Needham and Quincy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 10.6%Highest MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 19% above MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 21.2%±1.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #147 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Quincy | Needham |
| High school in town | North Quincy High | Needham High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.5Highest |
11.9Lowest |
| 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.