Needham is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Needham’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.
For the size of the town, public transportation in Needham is quite heavily used. Mostly, people who use it for their daily commute are taking the train. For Needham, the benefits are reduced air pollution and congestion on the highways.
If knowledge is power, Needham is a pretty powerful place. 81.93% of the adults in Needham have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Needham in 2022 was $102,328, which is wealthy relative to Massachusetts and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $409,312 for a family of four.
Needham is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Needham home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Needham residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Needham include Irish, English, Italian, Russian, and Polish.
Foreign born people are also an important part of Needham's cultural character, accounting for 16.77% of the town’s population.
The most common language spoken in Needham is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.
