City safety & data profile

NeedhamMA

Needham, MA is a 29K-resident city in Norfolk County with a median household income of $214,308.

Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Needham, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Needham has a population larger than 62% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $1,188,500, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-18

29K
Population
Top 38%
By size
$214,308
Median income
$1,188,500
Median home
3.7%
Poverty rate

The read on Needham

Needham posts a median household income higher than 99% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Needham area.

Top 1%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Needham

Where Needham income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$214,308 Top 1% higher than 99% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Below this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Below this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). This entry sits in this band. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Needham, MA beyond the headline numbers

Needham sits inside Norfolk County, Massachusetts, at roughly 42.28°N, -71.23°W. Population 28,886, $214,308 median household income. Median home value $1,188,500, median rent $2,409. Poverty rate 3.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Needham's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 29.1%, then short sleep duration at 28.9%. 1 hospital in/around Needham, 5/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Needham from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
28,886
Needham
Median Income
$214,308
+215% vs avg
Median Home Value
$1,188,500
+422% vs avg
Median Age
43.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Norfolk County) - Needham's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
730K+8%
Median Income
$130,739+54%
Median Home Value
$683,900+75%
Poverty Rate
6.7%+2%
Unemployment
4.9%-37%

Economics

Economics indicators for Needham, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,409/mo
Poverty Rate
3.7% -74% vs avg
Unemployment 4.4%
Bachelor's Degree+ 81.9%
Work From Home 32.4%
Public Transit 7.6%

Population

White 81.3%
African American 1.5%
Asian 9.9%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
29.1%
Short Sleep Duration
28.9%
Obesity
21.3%
Binge Drinking
16.9%
Physical Inactivity
13.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
12.4%
Current Asthma
10.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
9.6%
Diabetes
8%
Current Smoking
6.6%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 80.1%
Annual Checkup 83.2%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
5.1%
Stroke
2.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
2.4%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
5/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS HOSPITAL - NEEDHAM
NEEDHAM · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Needham, MA? ▼
Needham, MA has a population of 28,886 people, located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in Needham? ▼
The median household income in Needham, MA is $214,308 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 3.7%.
What is the median home value in Needham? ▼
The median home value in Needham, MA is $1,188,500. Median rent is $2,409/month.
What are the top health concerns in Needham? ▼
The top health indicators in Needham include High Blood Pressure (29.1%), Short Sleep Duration (28.9%), Obesity (21.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Needham? ▼
Needham has 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Needham? ▼
The median age in Needham, MA is 43.1 years. 81.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Needham, MA is located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. With a population of 29K and a $214,308 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Needham area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Massachusetts

Real-time AQI for every monitored Massachusetts location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Newton, MA 89K Wellesley, MA 28K Westwood, MA 14K Newtonville, MA 11K Dedham, MA 25K Chestnut Hill, MA 24K West Roxbury, MA 30K Waltham, MA 63K
All cities in Massachusetts → Compare Needham vs Newton → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Needham's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Needham area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Needham against Massachusetts peers on any ranking lens. Explore Massachusetts

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Norfolk County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.