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.Needham is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 93.69% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Needham is a town of professionals, managers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Needham who work in management occupations (19.96%), business and financial occupations (12.01%), and teaching (10.55%). 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. Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 25.37% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. 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". Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums. 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. One downside of living in Needham, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 30.70 minutes every day commuting to work. However, local public transit is widely used. For those who would prefer to avoid driving entirely and leave their car at home, it may be an option to use the transit instead. 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.
