Needham, MA vs Brookline, MA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricNeedham, MABrookline, MA
Population32,45963,266
Median Household Income$214,308$142,101
Median Rent$2,409/mo$2,835/mo
Median Home Value$1,188,500$1,246,800
Cost of Living (US = 100)108108
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income51.3%45.4%
Poverty Rate3.7%8.7%
Unemployment Rate4.1% (county)4.1% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k79124
Property Crime Rate /100k597724
Median AQI3939
Good AQI Days /yr308308
Summer Highs80°F82°F
Winter Lows19°F22°F
Snowfall46 in/yr49 in/yr
Avg Commute27.7 min27.1 min
Hospitals12
Avg Hospital Rating5.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher12.512.2
College Degree Rate81.9%85.4%
Foreign-Born %16.8%27.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+3.5%+6.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.