† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles; 2004 predates the ACS and is extrapolated. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupNeedhamMassachusettsUnited States
Irish28.4%18.6%9.4%
Italian13.8%11.1%4.8%
English10.9%9.7%9.5%
German6.7%5.4%12.5%
American4.6%3.3%5.3%
Polish3.7%3.4%2.2%
French3.1%4.7%1.6%
Scottish2.4%—1.3%
Chinese4.6%2.5%1.3%
Asian Indian2.1%1.9%1.4%
Vietnamese1.2%0.8%0.6%
Korean0.5%0.4%0.4%
Filipino0.3%0.2%0.9%
Japanese0.2%—0.2%
Pakistani0.2%——
Taiwanese0.2%——
Puerto Rican0.8%4.6%1.8%
Dominican0.6%2.7%0.7%
Mexican0.4%0.8%11.3%
Cuban0.2%0.2%0.7%
Colombian0.2%0.6%0.4%
African American†0.7%2.6%9.9%
Haitian0.3%1.1%0.3%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
Needham
Massachusetts
United States
Median age
43.1
40.3
39.1
Age 18–24
7.2%
9.9%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
17.7%
17.9%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
Needham
Massachusetts
United States
Median household income
$214,308
$103,960
$84,427
Poverty rate
3.7%
10.1%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
81.9%
47.3%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
Needham
Massachusetts
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
19.6%
25.1%
22.3%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic
4.4%
1.0%
0.7%
Other Indo-European
3.8%
6.1%
2.0%
Chinese (incl. Mandarin & Cantonese)
3.2%
2.2%
1.1%
Other languages
2.5%
1.0%
0.8%
Religious landscape
Measure
Needham
Massachusetts
United States
Catholic
—
35.5%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
3.6%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
51.4%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Needham, Massachusetts
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
+35.8%
2008
+33.0%
2012
+22.4%
2016
+48.3%
2020
+57.2%
2024
+52.5%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
D
74.0%Harris14,557
21.5%Trump4,225
4.5%
D+52.5
R+4.6
D+54.0
19,667
D
77.4%Biden15,541
20.3%Trump4,069
2.3%
D+57.2
D+8.9
D+52.7
20,072
D
70.4%Clinton12,771
22.1%Trump4,011
7.5%
D+48.3
D+25.9
D+46.2
18,145
D
60.4%Obama10,760
38.0%Romney6,770
1.5%
D+22.4
R+10.6
D+18.6
17,800
D
65.9%Obama11,331
32.9%McCain5,652
1.2%
D+33.0
R+2.8
D+25.8
17,190
D
67.5%Kerry11,267
31.6%Bush5,284
0.9%
D+35.8
—
D+38.3
16,701
Needham sits along Route 128's technology corridor, drawing a highly educated professional workforce that has tilted the CDP toward consistent double-digit Democratic margins in statewide races.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 57.2 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 4.6 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 52.5 points.
A population of 32,459, a 81% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $214,308 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Milton and Wellesley.
Akashic
Political twins — cities
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
In 2024, Needham, Massachusetts voted Democratic by 52.5 points (D+52.5), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 19,667 votes cast, 14,557 went Democratic and 4,225 went Republican.
How many people live in Needham, Massachusetts?
Needham, Massachusetts has a population of 32,459 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Needham, Massachusetts?
Median household income in Needham, Massachusetts is $214,308 — above the national median of $80,734. The Massachusetts state median is $103,960.
What is the political history of Needham, Massachusetts?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Needham, Massachusetts from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 0 went Republican.
