What stands out worked out from the figures below

South Hadley has the most affordable homes ($358k median).

Needham has the most expensive homes ($1189k 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	South Hadley	Needham
People
Population	17,754Lowest	32,459Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.6±2.6Lowest 7% above MA	43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA
	Needham and South Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.8%±1.8Lowest MA: 19.4%	27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	23.3%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9%	17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	50.2%Lowest MA: 47.3%	81.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	18.7%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%	5.4%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,910±$15kLowest 10% below MA	$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$357,900±$19kLowest 36% below MA	$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,325±$54Lowest 25% below MA	$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,500Lowest 8% below MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.7%±10.7Lowest MA: 51.8%	55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8%
	Needham and South Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.5%Highest MA: 10%	3.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77%Lowest MA: 62.5%	83.1%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Lowest 3 yrs older than MA	1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 19% below MA	28 minHighest 5% below MA
Work from home	17.3%±4.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#216 of 282 in MA	#19 of 282 in MA
School district	South Hadley	Needham
High school in town	South Hadley High	Needham High
Students per teacherat that high school	8.6Lowest	11.9Highest
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.