Cost of living in Needham research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Needham is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Needham is 180, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Needham is 1.8x higher than the national average.
Needham ranks as the #105 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.
Needham ranks as the #6,208 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Needham is $939,800.
The median income in Needham is $182,813.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Needham has an overall cost of living index of 180, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Needham has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Massachusetts's index of 143.
The standard of living in Needham ranks as #105 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Needham ranks as the #8 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Needham, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Needham. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Needham is 130.
The Groceries index in Needham is 111.
The Health index in Needham is 119.
The Housing index in Needham is 320.
The Transportation index in Needham is 113.
The Utilities index in Needham is 120.
Living Expense | Needham | Massachusetts | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 180 | 143 | 100 | |
Services | 130 | 126 | 100 | |
Groceries | 111 | 108 | 100 | |
Health | 119 | 117 | 100 | |
Housing | 320 | 202 | 100 | |
Transportation | 113 | 114 | 100 | |
Utilities | 120 | 123 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Needham is $939,800.
The Median Rent in Needham is $1,826.
The Median Income in Needham is $182,813.
The Home Value To Income in Needham is 5.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Needham is 0.12x.
Statistic | Needham | Massachusetts | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $939,800 | $424,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,826 | $1,429 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $182,813 | $89,026 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.1x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.12x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Needham | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.02 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.55 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $5.61 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $16.68 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $50.37 | $39.05 |
Item | Needham | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.34 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.71 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.49 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.3 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.3 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.6 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.75 | $2.34 |
Item | Needham | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $136.98 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $151.91 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $110.63 | $99.13 |
Item | Needham | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.42 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $59.24 | $50.07 |
Item | Needham | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $217.29 | $167.67 |
Phone | $31.08 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Needham. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 192, 1.1x Needham.
Waltham, MA has a cost of living index of 150, 0.8x Needham.
Brookline, MA has a cost of living index of 191, 1.1x Needham.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Needham |
---|---|---|---|
Newton, MA | 88,647 | 192 | 1.1x |
Waltham, MA | 64,655 | 150 | 0.8x |
Brookline, MA | 62,620 | 191 | 1.1x |
Arlington, MA | 46,045 | 162 | 0.9x |
Lexington, MA | 34,235 | 190 | 1.1x |
Norwood, MA | 31,256 | 143 | 0.8x |
Wellesley, MA | 29,365 | 216 | 1.2x |
Reading, MA | 25,483 | 152 | 0.8x |
Dedham, MA | 25,308 | 141 | 0.8x |
Winchester, MA | 22,875 | 190 | 1.1x |