Signals
Needham
Brockton
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs89 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Schools
92 · Top 2%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
97 · Top 24%
vs93 · Top 46%
Economic stability
80 · Top 8%
vs61 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Needham | Brockton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,459 | 105,386 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $214,308 | $80,115 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $102,328 | $35,830 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,639/sq mi | 4,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,188,500 | $437,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,409 | $1,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 57.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 81.9% | 22.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.7% | 13.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.9" | 53.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 34.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.1 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.21 | 15.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.7% | 10.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 72.4% | 21.3% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Needham
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Brockton
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane.
Full profiles: Needham, MA · Brockton, MA · How this is calculated: methodology