Franklin Town vs Needham
Franklin Town, Massachusetts versus Needham, Massachusetts: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Franklin Town and Needham score about the same overall (45 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Franklin Town | Needham |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $138k | $206k |
| Cost of Living | $84k | $84k |
| Home Value | $517k | $1.1M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.26% | 0.93% |
| Income Tax | 9.00% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.77% | 15.91% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 28°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.3 in | 47.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 47.7 in | 45.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 185 days | 181 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 81 days | 79 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 14.0 | 34.3 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 90.5 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 314/100k | 245/100k |
| Property Crime | 456/100k | 521/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 32,777 | 31,957 |
| Median Age | 42.0 | 43.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.22 | 0.29 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 0.90 |
| Political Leaning | D+37 | D+37 |
| White (%) | 86.4% | 82.6% |
| Black (%) | 1.5% | 2.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.1% | 3.2% |
| Asian (%) | 5.6% | 9.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 34 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 7.5/20 | 11.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 25 mi | 13 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.9% | 94.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.27 | 113.90 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Franklin Town or Needham more affordable?
- Needham has the lower cost of living: its index is $84k, compared with Franklin Town's $84k and Needham's $84k. Median rent is $2k in Franklin Town versus $2k in Needham.
- Is Franklin Town or Needham safer?
- Needham has the lower violent crime rate. Franklin Town reports 314/100k and Needham reports 245/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Franklin Town or Needham?
- The median home value is $517k in Franklin Town and $1.1M in Needham, so homes are more affordable in Franklin Town.