Needham Town Profile

Norfolk County: Needham, MA
Census Data & Trends
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COMMUTE TO WORK
MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK FOR WORKERS 16 YEARS AND OVER IN 2003
Drove Alone (Car, truck, or van): 10,184 73.84% Carpooled: 609 4.42%
Public Transportation: 1,591 11.54% Motorcycle: 6 0.04%
Bicycle: 51 0.37% Walked: 340 2.47%
Other Means: 62 0.45% Worked at Home: 949 6.88%
2003 Average number of vehicles available: 1.8%
2003 Average travel time to work in minutes: 30
EDUCATION LEVELS
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT FOR THE POPULATION 25 YEARS + IN 2003
Less than 9th grade: 240 1.24% Bachelor's Degree: 6,053 31.25%
Some High School no diploma: 458 2.36% Master's Degree: 4,081 21.07%
High School Graduate (includes GED): 2,321 11.98% Doctorate Degree: 873 4.51%
Some College, no degree: 2,554 13.18% Professional School Degree: 1,546 7.98%
Associate's Degree: 1,245 6.43% Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 12,553 64.8%
EMPLOYMENT (2003)
In Armed Forces: 21 0.09% Civilian Employed: 13,976 62.93%
Civilian Unemployed: 418 2.9% Not In Labor Force: 7,795 35.1%
INDUSTRY FOR THE EMPLOYED CIVILIAN POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER:
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, and Mining: 0 Construction: 501
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 1,674 Wholesale Trade: 433
Transportation and Warehousing, and Utilities: 224 Retail Trade: 1,214
Information: 755 Manufacturing: 954
Services:
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 2,505
Management of Companies and Enterprises: 0
Administrative and Support and Waste Management Services 323
Educational, Health and Social Services All:
Educational Services: 1,622
Health care and Social assistance: 2,143
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation and Food Services All:
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation: 252
Accommodation and Food Services: 278
Other Services (except public administration): 702
Public Administration: 396
OCCUPATION FOR THE EMPLOYED CIVILIAN POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER:
Management, Business, and Financial Operations occupations:
Management occupations, except farmers and farm managers: 2,572
Farmers and farm managers: 0
Business operations specialists: 526
Financial specialists: 685
PROFESSIONAL AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS:
Computer and mathematical occupations: 706
Architecture and engineering occupations: 289
Life, physical, and social science occupations: 330
Community and social services occupations: 285
Legal occupations: 700
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations: 1,159
Education, training and library occupations: 1,101
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations: 590
Service Occupations All: 237
Sales And Office Occupations All: 1,551
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations All: 8
Construction, Extraction, and Maintenance Occupations All: 335
Production, Transportation, and Material Moving Occupations All: 208
HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS
HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS 2003Number 2003Percent 2008Number 2008Percent
Total Housing Units: 10,956 11,153
Owner Occupied: 8,665 80.83% 8,807 80.69%
Renter Occupied: 2,055 19.17% 2,108 19.31%
Total Housing Units Change: 1990-2000: 4.24%
Total Housing Units Change: 2000-2003: 1.01%
Total Housing Units Change: 2003-2008: 1.8%
2000 Median Contract Rent: Cash Rent: $1,166
AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE BY HOUSEHOLD TYPE: 2000 2003 2008
Avg Household Size: 2.63 2.61 2.58
Family Households, Avg Household Size: 3.17 3.16 3.15
Nonfamily Households, Avg Household Size: 1.15 1.16 1.18
HOUSING UNITS BY UNITS IN STRUCTURE IN 2003:
1 Unit Attached: 8,381 20 to 49 Units: 232
1 Unit Dettached: 320 50 or More Units: 834
2 Units: 660 Mobile Home: 19
3 to 19 Units: 510
YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT:
Median Year Structure Built: 1955 1970 to 1979: 761
1999 to March 2003: 268 1960 to 1969: 1,547
1995 to 1998: 174 1950 to 1959: 2,614
1990 to 1994: 238 1940 to 1949: 1,270
1980 to 1989: 1,151 1939 or earlier: 2,933
YEAR HOUSEHOLDER MOVED INTO UNIT AS OF 2003:
0 - 1 year ago: 1,281 11 - 20 years ago: 2,075
2 - 5 years ago: 2,228 21 - 30 years ago: 1,441
6 - 10 years ago: 1,905 31 years agoand over: 1,790
INCOME
Per Capita Income: $49,590 Households Below Poverty: 1.82%
HOUSEHOLD INCOME GROUPS: 2003Number 2003Percent 2008Number 2008Percent
HH with income less than $15,000: 642 5.99% 573 5.35%
HH with income $15,000 - $24,999: 414 3.86% 345 3.22%
HH with income $25,000 - $34,999: 623 5.81% 473 4.41%
HH with income $35,000 - $49,999: 817 7.62% 756 7.05%
HH with income $50,000 - $74,999: 1,563 14.58% 1,278 11.92%
HH with income $75,000 - $99,999: 1,286 12% 1,275 11.89%
HH with income $100,000 - $149,999: 2,220 20.71% 2,097 19.56%
HH with income $150,000 - $249,999: 1,982 18.49% 2,412 22.5%
HH with income $250,000 - $499,999: 740 6.9% 1,081 10.08%
HH with income > than $500,000 433 4.04% 625 5.83%
Total Households: 10,720 10,915
MEDIAN AND AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES: 1999 2003 2008
Median Household Income: $89,750 $100,338 $118,062
Median Household Effective Buying Income: $70,672 $80,804
Average Household Income: $120,465 $133,394 $155,433
POVERTY LEVEL (2003)
Families below poverty (married with children): 38
Families below poverty (married with no children): 41
Families below poverty (male householder with children): 24
Families below poverty (male householder with no children): 10
Families below poverty (female householder with children): 64
Families below poverty (female householder with no children): 18
Families at or above poverty (married with children): 3,503
Families at or above poverty (married with no children): 3,299
Families at or above poverty (male householder with children): 43
Families at or above poverty (male householder with no children): 90
Families at or above poverty (female householder with children): 316
Families at or above poverty (female householder with no children): 330
POPULATION BY AGE, RACE & OTHER
TOTAL POPULATION: 1990 2000 2003 2008 TOTAL POPULATION CHANGE:
Total Population: 27,557 28,911 28,995 29,167 Years 1990-2000: 4.91%
Population Density: 2,185 2,293 2,299 2,313 Years 2000-2003: 0.29%
Years 2003-2008: 0.59%
Male/Female Ratio:
Male: 47.37% Female: 52.63%
POPULATION BY AGE IN 2003: AGE GROUPS IN 2003:
Under age 16: 7,523 Age 0 to 4: 2,086 Age 35 to 44: 4,488
Age 16 and over: 22,210 Age 5 to 9: 2,102 Age 45 to 49: 2,458
Age 18 and over: 21,472 Age 10 to 14: 2,182 Age 50 to 54: 2,190
Age 21 and over: 20,345 Age 15 to 17: 1,153 Age 55 to 59: 1,849
Age 25 and over: 19,371 Age 18 to 20: 1,127 Age 60 to 64: 1,236
Under age 50: 18,476 Age 21 to 24: 974 Age 65 to 74: 2,144
Age 65 and over: 5,244 Age 25 to 34: 1,906 Age 75 to 84: 1,879
Age 85 and over: 1,221
MEDIAN AGE IN: 1990 2003 2008 AVERAGE AGE IN 2003:
Male Median Age: 36.6 39.1 38.9 Male Average Age: 37.7
Female Median Age: 40.4 43.9 45.6 Female Average Age: 43
Total Median Age: 38.6 41.6 42.7 Total Average Age: 40.5
POPULATION BY CENSUS RACE AND ETHNICITY: 2000 2003 2008
White Alone: 27,412 27,331 27,323
Black or African American Alone: 201 218 235
American Indian and Alask Native Alone: 8 9 9
Asian Alone: 1,024 1,147 1,275
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone: 0 0 0
Some Other Race Alone: 73 89 102
Two or More Races: 193 201 223
All Hispanic/Latino: 341 374 409
All Not Hispanic/Latino: 28,570 28,621 28,758
Sources: Claritas; The Warren Group
Neighborhood Information
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STATISTICS
Total Area, sq. miles: 12.70 Population: 28,995
Land Area, sq. miles: 12.61 Population Density per sq. mile: 2,299
*Quality Score (from 65 to 170): 154 Population Density Centile (from 1 to 100): 62
Family Cycle Type: Child-Launching Family: More than 40 percent of all families in this group have children under age 18. The majority of these children are age14 to 17.
*Also known as the Socioeconomic Score, the score indicating whether a particular geographic unit is Higher than, lower than, or equal to the U.S. norm, which is 100. The score's range is from 65 to 170. This is a four-component status score that Rates the geographical unit by applying a weight to each element of the following four data categories: Household income (25 categories), Educational attainment or years of school completed by persons age 25 and older (7 categories), Occupation of employed civilian labor force (13 categories),and Home value (20 categories).
PROFILE
The Town of Needham is located on rocky uplands within a loop of the Charles River, almost isolated from the surrounding countryside. Though the area was used for some grazing by Dedham residents and some land grants were made, the river served as an effective barrier and the town was slow to develop. Early settlers relied primarily on agriculture and grazing plus some winter lumbering with orchards and tanneries as supplements. Saw mills and grist mills were opened by a number of settlers along the Charles through the 18th century. Extension of the railroad and land speculation encouraged settlement, and the town saw the growth of industrial employment and production at the same time during the mid-19th century. Needham manufacturers made knit goods, underwear, hats, shoes and silk, although attempts to cultivate silk worms were short-lived. Land speculation, housing development and knitted underwear continued to be the foundation of Needham's economy into the 20th century, with the famous William Carter Corporation prominent in the children's knitwear industry. The construction of Route 128 in 1931 opened portions of the town to development as part of the hi-tech highway in the post-World War II electronic industrial boom. Modern Needham remains a pleasant heavily suburban community with good access to Boston for commuters and a significant number of local job slots.
GOVERNMENT
Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator Representative, Town Meeting
Year Incorporated: as a town: 1711
LOCATION
Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by Wellesley on the west and northwest, Newton on the north and northeast, the West Roxbury section of Boston on the east, Dedham on the southeast and south, and Westwood and Dover on the south. Needham is 10 miles southwest of Boston, 29 miles east of Worcester, and about 208 miles from New York City.
Longitude: -71.2354 Latitude: 42.2847
TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORTATION & ACCESS
Needham is situated in the Greater Boston Area, which has excellent rail, air, and highway facilities. State Route 128 and Interstate Route 495 divide the region into inner and outer zones, which are connected by numerous spokes providing direct access to the airport, port, and intermodal facilities of Boston.
MAJOR HIGHWAYS
Principal highways are State Routes 128 (the inner belt around Boston) and 135, and Interstate Route 95, which shares the same roadway as State Route 128.
RAIL
Commuter rail service is available to Back Bay Station and South Station, Boston, from Needham Heights (travel time to BBS 37-38 min.; 14 MBTA parking spaces), Needham Center (travel time 33-34 min.; 36 MBTA parking spaces), Needham Junction (travel time 27-30 min.; 170 spaces), and Hersey (travel time 24-27 min.; 322 spaces). The Bay Colony Railroad provides freight rail service in Needham. Co
BUS
Needham is a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The MBTA provides fixed route service between Needham Junction and Watertown Square.
OTHER
The Norwood Memorial Airport, a Reliever (RL) facility, is easily accessible. It has 2 asphalt runways 4,001'x 150' and 4,007'x 150'. Instrument approaches available: Non-precision.
Sources: US Department of Housing; Claritas; The Warren Group
Crime
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Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics; The Warren Group
Town Stats
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