Rank
17
A
Needham
6 schools · 1 high school · 5 elementary schools · Needham
Needham is a suburban town approximately 20 miles west of Boston, encompassing a single, highly ranked school district. With an average single-family assessed value exceeding $1.5 million and per capita income of $147,409, Needham is among the state's most affluent communities—and the investment in education is evident, with Needham High School ranked #7 in the state and the district earning an overall #17 ranking. The town, originally settled in the 17th century, has maintained its character as an affluent residential community with strong civic engagement. A 99.3% graduation rate and competitive average SAT scores of 1270 reflect consistent academic achievement across the district.
Avg MCAS ELA
70%
#38 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
70%
#30 of 326
Avg SAT
1,270
#19 of 290
Attendance
95.7%
#11 of 328
Graduation Rate
99.3%
#15 of 288
AP Pass Rate
95.5%
#9 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$24,928
#81 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$101,790
#72 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 66% | 66% | — | 509 | 408 |
| Grade 4 | 70% | 72% | — | 510 | 424 |
| Grade 5 | 72% | 73% | 75% | 512 | 424 |
| Grade 6 | 75% | 79% | — | 517 | 440 |
| Grade 7 | 72% | 74% | — | 513 | 440 |
| Grade 8 | 78% | 80% | 67% | 518 | 423 |
| Grade 10 | 85% | 84% | 72% | 521 | 374 |
| HS Science | — | — | 72% | 513 | 425 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 70.7%
Asian: 12.4%
Hispanic: 7.1%
Black: 3.2%
Multi-Race: 6.5%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 49.3%Male: 50.5%Non-binary: 0.2%
High Schools in Needham
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
7
A+
Needham High
SAT
1,270
ELA
86%
Math
85%
Grad
99.3%
7
A+
Needham High
1,270
86%
85%
95.5%
99.3%
Elementary Schools in Needham
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
46
A
Newman Elementary
ELA
74%
Math
77%
Attend.
95.7%
Class
19
46
A
Newman Elementary
74%
77%
95.7%
19
72
A
Broadmeadow
ELA
68%
Math
70%
Attend.
96.1%
Class
21
72
A
Broadmeadow
68%
70%
96.1%
21
148
B+
Sunita L. Williams Elementary
ELA
62%
Math
62%
Attend.
95.8%
Class
21
148
B+
Sunita L. Williams Elementary
62%
62%
95.8%
21
149
B+
William Mitchell
ELA
68%
Math
62%
Attend.
96.3%
Class
19
149
B+
William Mitchell
68%
62%
96.3%
19
170
B+
John Eliot
ELA
62%
Math
64%
Attend.
95%
Class
17
170
B+
John Eliot
62%
64%
95%
17
District Operations
Attendance
#11 of 328Attendance Rate95.7%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)6.7%
Chronically Absent (20%+)1.3%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#81 of 325In-District Per Pupil$23,671
Total Per Pupil$24,928
Total FTE Students5,667
Teacher Salaries
#72 of 325Average Salary$101,790
Teacher FTE Count450
Salary vs. Town Income0.7x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.7x the town's per capita income ($147,409). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#180 of 327Avg Class Size18
English Learners2.9%
Students w/ Disabilities18.9%
Total Students5,509
Staffing & Retention
#73 of 327Teacher Retention90.5%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers482
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Needham
Avg Assessed Value
$1,541,061
#13 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$16,690
Income Per Capita
$147,409
#12 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#15
of 341 towns
Avg Assessed Value is the mean assessed value of single-family homes only (MA property class 101 — excludes condos, multi-family, and apartments). MA law requires assessment at 100% of fair market value. Income Per Capita is total town income divided by population, derived from MA state income tax returns (not Census surveys). It includes wages, investment income, and capital gains, so wealthy towns can have very high figures. The MA median is about $48K. Tax bill rank orders towns by average single-family tax bill, highest to lowest.
Tax & Bond Details
Residential Tax Rate1.08%
Tax as % of Income11.32%(below avg)
Bond RatingAAA(highest)
Tax rate is the effective residential rate (tax bill ÷ assessed value). Tax as % of income measures how much of residents’ income goes to property taxes. The MA median is about 14%; below 10% is low (wealthier towns with high incomes relative to home values), above 16% is above average. Bond rating reflects the town’s creditworthiness for borrowing. AAA is the highest possible rating (strong fiscal management), meaning the town can borrow at the lowest interest rates. AA+ is excellent, AA is very good.
New Growth
$342.9M+2.22% levy growth(strong)
Residential$293.8M
Commercial/Industrial$49.1M
Residential Share75.19%(typical)
New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 4.7% (2.5% base + 2.22% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (75.19%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 5,145(80.2%)
Vocational: 58(0.9%)
Charter: 2(0.0%)
Private: 1,170(18.2%)
Home School: 7(0.1%)
Total: 6,416