Compare towns
Bellingham vs Wareham vs Barre
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bellingham has the most people working from home (18%).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
Barre has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Bellingham | Wareham | Barre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,325Lowest |
23,302Highest |
5,572 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2.4% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44±7.6 10% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
43.8±8.5Lowest 9% above MA |
| Wareham and Bellingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
15.8%±5.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Bellingham and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.6%±4.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±5.6 MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
31.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±3.2 MA: 7.9% |
| Wareham and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,763±$14k 7% below MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
$107,727±$13kHighest 4% above MA |
| Barre and Bellingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $431,200±$23kHighest 23% below MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
$394,300±$55kLowest 30% below MA |
| Bellingham and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,009±$358Highest 14% above MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
$1,030±$713Lowest 42% below MA |
| Bellingham and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,477 25% below MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
$5,163Highest 14% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 74.7%±25.4Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
38.2%±27.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Bellingham and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 1.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
8.2%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 min 18% above MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
36 minHighest 24% above MA |
| Work from home | 18%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
11.2%±4.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Bellingham and Wareham 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 | #232 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA | #134 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Wareham | Quabbin |
| High school in town | — | Wareham Senior High | Quabbin Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.6Lowest |
12.9Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.