Signals
Needham
Framingham
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Schools
92 · Top 2%
vs45 · Bottom 42%
Access
97 · Top 24%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
80 · Top 8%
vs70 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Needham | Framingham | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,459 | 72,399 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $214,308 | $107,419 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $102,328 | $53,991 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,639/sq mi | 2,891/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,188,500 | $627,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,409 | $2,033 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 81.9% | 48.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.7% | 10.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.9" | 42.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 33.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.1 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.21 | 11.47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.7% | 23.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 72.4% | 36.6% | 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.
Framingham
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
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Needham
83
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—
Area Score
Framingham
67
Your Score
66
Area Score
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Full profiles: Needham, MA · Framingham, MA · How this is calculated: methodology