Needham is a medium-sized town located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 32,114 people and six associated neighborhoods, Needham is the 55th largest community in Massachusetts.

Needham home prices are not only among the most expensive in Massachusetts, but Needham real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that Needham has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in Needham telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 25.37% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

In addition, Needham is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates", which are people who are not only wealthy and employed in professional occupations, but highly educated to boot. Urban sophisticates have urbane tastes - whether they reside in a big or small city, a suburb, or a little town. Urban sophisticates support bookstores, quality clothing stores, enjoy luxury travel, and in big cities, they are truly the patrons of the arts, attending and supporting institutions such as opera, symphony, ballet, and theatre.

Because of many things, Needham is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Needham a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Needham has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Needham’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

One downside of living in Needham is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Needham, the average commute to work is 30.70 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average. On the other hand, local public transit is widely used in the town, so leaving the car at home and taking transit is often a viable alternative.

Although the majority of commuting trips in the town are by private automobile, Needham is somewhat unusual for a town of its size for having a substantial number of people who use public transportation. For a lot of people, the train helps to get to and from their jobs every morning, which benefits everyone in the Needham area by reducing both traffic and air pollution.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Needham. 81.12% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Needham in 2022 was $95,376, which is wealthy relative to Massachusetts and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $381,504 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 German.

Needham also has a high percentage of its population that was born in another country: 15.77%.

The most common language spoken in Needham is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.