02494 ZIP Code — Needham Heights, MA

Norfolk County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 02494 is located in Needham Heights, Massachusetts, within Norfolk County. It covers approximately 2.80 square miles and serves a population of 10,765 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 781/617/508/339.

About ZIP code 02494

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $989,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($203,690) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 2% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 25% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 74% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 02494 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a high rate of remote workers.

10,765

population

2.80

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

02494 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 02494

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 02494. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Needham Heights	Acceptable
Needham Heights	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	10,765
Population density	3,845 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	021

Geography
Land area	2.80 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	42.2997
Longitude	-71.2298
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	781/617/508/339

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.4%	23.5%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	13.7%	24.2%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	26.0%	31.4%	28.5%
Over $200k	41.0%	20.9%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

10,765

Population

3,845

People per sq mi

44.2

Median age

$203,690

Median household income

$99,169

Per capita income

$989,100

Median home value

$2,006

Median monthly rent

75.9%

Home ownership

2.1%

Poverty rate

3.0%

Unemployment

3,324

Housing units

74.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

187

Under 5

203

399

5–9

433

471

10–14

511

326

15–19

354

123

20–24

134

382

25–34

415

777

35–44

843

752

45–54

816

427

55–59

464

293

60–64

318

573

65–74

622

207

75–84

224

245

85+

266

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,688	25.0%
18 and over	8,077	75.0%
65 and over	2,137	19.9%
Median age	44.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 75.6%

Asian 11.9%

Two or more races 4.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.8%

Black or African American 3.7%

Other race 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	8,468	75.6%
Asian	1,334	11.9%
Two or more races	514	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	429	3.8%
Black or African American	409	3.7%
Other race	29	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.4%	23.5%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	13.7%	24.2%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	26.0%	31.4%	28.5%
Over $200k	41.0%	20.9%	14.3%

Under $10k 0.7%

$10k–$15k 1.0%

$15k–$25k 3.1%

$25k–$35k 2.8%

$35k–$50k 8.8%

$50k–$75k 6.3%

$75k–$100k 5.3%

$100k–$150k 13.6%

$150k–$200k 7.6%

$200k+ 50.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.7%
$10k–$15k	1.0%
$15k–$25k	3.1%
$25k–$35k	2.8%
$35k–$50k	8.8%
$50k–$75k	6.3%
$75k–$100k	5.3%
$100k–$150k	13.6%
$150k–$200k	7.6%
$200k+	50.7%
Median income	$203,690

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.7%

$50k–$100k 0.5%

$150k–$200k 1.8%

$200k–$300k 1.2%

$300k–$500k 2.5%

$500k–$1M 44.5%

$1M+ 48.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$989,100
Median rent / month	$2,006
Owner occupied	75.9%
Renter occupied	24.1%
Vacant	4.8%
Single-family detached	63.3%
Large apartment buildings	15.3%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	6.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.85

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.3%
2010–2019	16.7%
2000–2009	10.9%
1990–1999	8.3%
1980–1989	5.9%
1970–1979	4.8%
1960–1969	10.6%
1950–1959	19.1%
1940–1949	6.2%
1939 or earlier	16.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	12.1%
2 bedrooms	14.1%
3 bedrooms	37.6%
4 bedrooms	22.4%
5+ bedrooms	12.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.5%
1 vehicle	28.5%
2 vehicles	49.4%
3 or more	14.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	61.1%
Electricity	17.0%
Propane / LP gas	0.5%
Fuel oil	20.8%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,891	70.3%
Cohabiting couple	62	1.5%
Male householder, no spouse	388	9.4%
Female householder, no spouse	769	18.7%
Households with children under 18	1,535	37.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,545	37.6%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	16.5%	17.8%
Married	76.1%	67.0%
Separated	1.1%	1.4%
Widowed	1.9%	8.3%
Divorced	4.3%	5.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 1.9%

HS graduate 6.5%

Some college, no degree 9.6%

Associate's degree 5.9%

Bachelor's degree 28.6%

Graduate / professional 45.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.4%
Bachelor's or higher	74.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	224	7.4%
Kindergarten	206	6.8%
Elementary school	1,424	46.9%
High school	683	22.5%
College / grad school	498	16.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.0%

Professional & management 20.8%

Finance & real estate 10.5%

Retail trade 8.7%

Manufacturing 6.3%

Other services 4.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.9%

Construction 3.8%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Public administration 2.5%

Information 2.1%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	69.7%
Service	7.6%
Sales & office	17.0%
Natural resources & construction	3.6%
Production & transportation	2.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.7%
Government	9.8%
Self-employed	5.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	58.7%
Carpool	5.4%
Public transit	8.1%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	25.0%
Other means	0.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.7

Poverty

All people 2.1%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 2.8%

Married-couple families 0.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	27.2%
Retirement income	18.2%
Supplemental Security	4.5%
Cash public assistance	4.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	22.3%
High blood pressure	26.4%
High cholesterol	32.0%
Diabetes	7.2%
Heart disease	5.0%
Stroke	2.2%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	23.2%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	4.0%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	8.4%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	14.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.0%
Depression	16.2%
Fair or poor health	7.4%
Poor mental health	10.3%
Poor physical health	6.6%
No health insurance	4.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	79.8%
Cholesterol screening	93.9%
Teeth loss	6.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	259	3.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.8%
Under 18	1.6%
18–64 years	2.5%
65 and over	31.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	89.3%
Public insurance	21.5%
No insurance	1.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	10,375	96.4%
Spanish	756	7.3%
Other Indo-European	33	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	361	3.5%
Other languages	280	2.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,368	77.7%
Born in same state	8,302	77.1%
Born in different state	5,492	51.0%
Foreign born	66	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	2,397	22.3%
Not a US citizen	1,783	74.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,584	14.7%
French	988	9.2%
Arab	398	3.7%
Irish	89	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	88	0.8%
Polish	61	0.6%
English	44	0.4%
Norwegian	38	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.2%
Internet access	97.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 02494

What city is ZIP code 02494 in?

ZIP code 02494 is primarily assigned to Needham Heights, Massachusetts.

What county is ZIP code 02494 in?

ZIP code 02494 falls within Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 02494?

74% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 02494?

The median household income in ZIP code 02494 is $203,690, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 02494?

The median home value in ZIP code 02494 is $989,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 02494?

ZIP code 02494 has an estimated population of 10,765 residents, with a density of 3,845 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 02494 in?

ZIP code 02494 observes the EST timezone.