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.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 25.37% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. 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 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.

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.

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 2018 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.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Needham's cultural character, accounting for 15.77% of the town’s population.

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