Compare towns
Ayer vs Bourne vs Wareham vs North Brookfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ayer has the most people working from home (19.8%).
Bourne has the most expensive homes ($576k median).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
North Brookfield has the most affordable homes ($359k median).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Ayer | Bourne | Wareham | North Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,098Lowest |
20,323 |
23,302Highest |
4,760 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.1% MA: +7.4% |
+3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+1.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.1±6.9Lowest 5% above MA |
52±1.8 30% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
45.2±9.4 13% above MA |
| Wareham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.8%±5.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
16.9%±4.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Ayer and North Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.3%±5.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
18.7%±5 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.7% MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1% MA: 47.3% |
26.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
4.5%±2.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $74,878±$17kLowest 28% below MA |
$91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA |
$90,383±$11k 13% below MA |
$79,285±$11k 24% below MA |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $444,600±$43k 21% below MA |
$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
$359,100±$32kLowest 36% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,240±$169 30% below MA |
$1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
$981±$63Lowest 44% below MA |
| Wareham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,911Highest 18% below MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
$4,341 28% below MA |
$4,176Lowest 30% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±21.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
52.4%±15.8 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and North Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.9% MA: 10% |
6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
12.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.8% MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
69.3% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1953 11 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min about the MA average |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
37 minHighest 28% above MA |
| Work from home | 19.8%±6.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
13.1%±4.4 MA: 18.6% |
| Ayer and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #113 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA | #270 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Wareham | North Brookfield |
| High school in town | — | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Wareham Senior High | North Brookfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.8Highest |
8.6 |
5.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.