# Needham, MA Real Estate: A Practical Guide to Condos & Townhomes for Young Families
Is Needham, MA a buyer's or seller's market for families right now?
Needham is competitive. There's really no softer way to say it. For young families trying to break into this community, the market tilts firmly in sellers' favor, and it has for a while now.
That's not meant to discourage you. It's meant to prepare you.
Across my work helping families find homes throughout Greater Boston—from Somerville all the way out to Wellesley—Needham keeps rising to the top of the list. The schools are exceptional, the neighborhoods feel genuinely safe, and there's a warmth to the community that's hard to manufacture. Right now, the median sold price sits at $2,224,900, with just 51 active listings and 14 new listings recently hitting the market.
Needham Residential Market Pulse — Feb 2026 (Snapshot)
Quick, family-friendly headline view of current housing market conditions: inventory, price, and pace. (Snapshot mixes units, so it stays in a hero card vs. a chart.)
Inventory
Active listings51
New listings14
Demand
Homes sold (Feb 2026)41
Homes sold (last year)37
Pricing
Median sold price (Feb 2026)$2,224,900
Speed
Average days on market36 days
Average days on market (last year)24 days
Condos and townhomes offer a more realistic entry point into a town that sits roughly 10 miles from Boston—close enough for an easy commute, far enough to feel like home. Families aren't just shopping for square footage here. They're shopping for peace of mind. And Needham delivers. The town holds an A+ rating on Niche.com for its schools, and its violent crime rate is just 52 per 100,000 residents—a striking contrast to the Massachusetts average of 315 per 100k and the national average of 359 per 100k.
Needham Crime Rates vs. Massachusetts vs. U.S. (per 100k people)
Compares Needham’s crime rate to state and national benchmarks across total, violent, and property crime—helpful for families prioritizing safety.
Total crime
Violent crime
Property crime
Every time I walk a property with parents in Needham, the conversation turns to safety. It always does. Knowing the town carries an A- property crime grade gives families the breathing room to focus on the home itself rather than second-guessing the neighborhood.
How much over asking are condos and townhomes selling for in Needham, MA?
Expect to go 4% to 6% over asking price—and expect to do it with clean, seller-friendly terms. That's the reality of buying in Needham right now, and the families who win homes here understand that going in.
It can feel like a lot. But consider what you're actually getting. The cost of living safely in Needham is remarkably low when you look past the sticker price. The projected tangible cost of crime per resident is just $53 per year—that's $83 less than the national average.
Cost Composition of Crime (Needham, 2025 — tangible costs)
Shows how the tangible cost of crime is allocated (sums to 100%). Useful context for understanding what drives overall ‘cost of crime’ measures.
TOTAL
Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, imprisonment)
68.8%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical, lost wages)
25.5%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses)
5.7%
A higher offer with unnecessary complications often loses to a slightly lower offer that's clean and easy to close. Sellers here value certainty. Waiving minor contingencies, where it makes sense for your situation, can be the difference between getting the home and watching someone else move in.
I always remind buyers to think long-term. Needham rewards commitment. This is a 7 to 10-plus year kind of town—one where parent involvement is high, youth sports programs are well-funded, and the schools consistently rank among the best in the state. You're not just buying a townhome. You're buying into something bigger.
How fast are homes selling in the Needham, MA real estate market?
Fast. The overall average days on market is around 36 days, but the family-sized townhomes that buyers really want? Those are going under contract in 12 to 14 days, sometimes faster.
Your pre-approval cannot be a weekend errand. When the right property hits the market, you need to be ready to walk through it and submit an offer within 24 hours. Families are moving with urgency, especially those trying to get settled before a new school year begins. And with Needham Public Schools projecting steady enrollment growth over the next fifteen years, that demand isn't going anywhere.
Needham Public Schools — Enrollment Outlook (Best Projection)
A simple view of projected student enrollment change over the long term—helpful for families thinking about school capacity and long-term stability.
Source:[PDF] Needham Public Schools
Getting ahead of the competition means watching off-market and "coming soon" listings before they go live. Some of my favorite mornings in Needham start with coffee at French Press Bakery & Cafe before an early showing, followed by a walk through the 200-acre Town Forest with a family who's starting to picture their life here. It doesn't take long to understand why homes move so quickly. The lifestyle speaks for itself.
What is the best strategy for buying or selling a home in Needham, MA?
Timing matters, and so does empathy. The families who succeed in this market—whether buying or selling—are the ones who understand what the other side actually needs.
For buyers, that often means offering a flexible closing date. Sellers in Needham are frequently families themselves, coordinating a move around school schedules and lease endings. Showing that you understand their timeline can carry real weight in a multiple-offer situation, even if you're not the highest bid on the table.
For sellers, the story you tell about your home matters. Lead with the mudroom. Highlight the backyard, the proximity to parks, the walk to school. Needham's town government is actively investing in family infrastructure—including an upcoming $140,400 renovation for the Newman Preschool Playground—and that kind of community commitment is a genuine selling point.
$140,400Recommended amount (reduced)
Newman Preschool Playground Renovation (CIP)
Capital Improvement Plan item relevant to young families—summarizes the updated recommendation and secured state funding.
Original recommended amount$240,400
State funding secured by School Department$100,000
Whether you're stepping into your first townhome or preparing to move on to a new chapter, Needham rewards a calm, thoughtful approach. A responsive town government, a well-loved library system, a 30-minute commute to downtown Boston, and neighborhoods where kids actually play outside—it all adds up to something rare. And families who find their way here tend to stay.
