In addition, Needham is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are people who are both educated and wealthy, and thus tend to be older, richer, and more established than young professionals. "Urban sophisticates" is not just about being educated and well-off financially: it is a point of view and state of mind, one that you might call 'urbaneness'. But such people can and do regularly live in small towns, suburbs and rural areas, as well as in big cities. They read, support the arts and high-end shops, and love travel.
Because of many things, Needham is a very good place for families to consider. With an enviable combination of good schools, low crime, college-educated neighbors who tend to support education because of their own experiences, and a high rate of home ownership in predominantly single-family properties, Needham really has some of the features that families look for when choosing a good community to raise children. Is Needham perfect? Of course not, and if you like frenetic nightlife, it will be far from your cup of tea. But overall this is a solid community, with many things to recommend it as a family-friendly place to live.
Like elsewhere in America, most people in Needham use a private automobile to get to work. But notably, a substantial number of Needham‘s citizens do make use of public transit in their daily commute, primarily riding the train. This helps more people get to work with less air pollution, and require fewer highways to get them there.
Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Needham. 80.85% 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 2022 was $100,288, which is wealthy relative to Massachusetts and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $401,152 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, German, and Russian.
Foreign born people are also an important part of Needham's cultural character, accounting for 16.68% of the town’s population.
The most common language spoken in Needham is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.
