Signals
Needham
Reading
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs79 · Bottom 47%
Schools
92 · Top 2%
vs87 · Top 6%
Access
97 · Top 24%
vs97 · Top 23%
Economic stability
80 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Needham | Reading | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,459 | 25,612 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $214,308 | $165,912 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $102,328 | $74,991 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,639/sq mi | 2,567/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,188,500 | $809,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,409 | $1,991 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 82.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 81.9% | 66.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.7% | 3.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.9" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 34.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.1 | 43.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.21 | 11.99 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.7% | 51.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 72.4% | 66.2% | 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.
Reading
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Needham, MA · Reading, MA · How this is calculated: methodology