What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wilmington has the most affordable homes ($681k 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	Wilmington	Needham
People
Population	23,336Lowest	32,459Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.3±2.2Lowest 6% above MA	43.1±1.6Highest 8% above MA
	Needham and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.1%±2.7Lowest MA: 19.4%	27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%
	Needham and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.6%±1.8Lowest MA: 17.9%	17.7%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Needham and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	50.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%	81.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.1%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.4%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%
	Needham and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$168,152±$19kLowest 62% above MA	$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$680,500±$19kLowest 21% above MA	$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,394±$328Lowest 36% above MA	$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA
	Needham and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,704Lowest 29% above MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	60.9%±2Highest MA: 51.8%	55.9%±8.5Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Wilmington and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.8%Highest MA: 10%	3.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	83.1%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA	1965Lowest 1 yr newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 4% above MA	28 minLowest 5% below MA
Work from home	19.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#73 of 282 in MA	#19 of 282 in MA
School district	Wilmington	Needham
High school in town	Wilmington High	Needham High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.1Lowest	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.