Compare towns
Bellingham vs Bourne vs Wareham
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 kids (22.1% under 18).
Bourne has the most expensive homes ($576k median).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Bourne | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,410Lowest |
20,323 |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.8% MA: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.2±1.5Lowest 4% below MA |
52±1.8 30% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% 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 | 22.1%±3.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 14.9%±2.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 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+ | 40.1% MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 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 | $125,307±$10kHighest 21% above MA |
$91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $450,700±$13k 20% below MA |
$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,836±$196Highest 4% above MA |
$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,504±$180 15% 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 | $5,030Highest 16% below MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±16.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 5.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.2% MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.9% MA: 62.5% |
75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 9 yrs newer than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 24% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 18.3%±2.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Bellingham 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 | #232 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bellingham | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Wareham |
| High school in town | Bellingham High School | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.4Highest |
9.8 |
8.6Lowest |
| 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.