Compare towns
Bernardston vs Buzzards Bay vs Wareham vs Greenfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Buzzards Bay has the most people working from home (17.4%).
Wareham has the most homeowners (83.5%).
Greenfield has the most renters (44.3% rent).
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 | Bernardston | Buzzards Bay | Wareham | Greenfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,164Lowest |
2,909 |
23,302Highest |
17,664 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8% MA: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 49±3.2 23% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
52.1±3.1 30% above MA |
44.6±2.1Lowest 12% above MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.6%±3.2 MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
18.3%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Greenfield and Bernardston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±2.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
23.4%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.1% MA: 47.3% |
29.6% MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
39.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $81,940±$10k 21% below MA |
$94,388±$12kHighest 9% below MA |
$90,383±$11k 13% below MA |
$55,614±$7kLowest 47% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $332,000±$15k 41% below MA |
$454,500±$28kHighest 19% below MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
$263,100±$16kLowest 53% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,283±$553 27% below MA |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
$1,107±$67Lowest 37% below MA |
| Wareham and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,516 25% below MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
$4,341 28% below MA |
$4,769Highest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.2%±15.1 MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
63.2%±7.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Greenfield and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.3% MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
15.2%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.9% MA: 62.5% |
75.7% MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
55.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Highest 8 yrs newer than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 33% below MA |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
17 minLowest 40% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.7%±6.6 MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
11.9%±2.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bernardston 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 | — | — | #272 of 282 in MA | #257 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Pioneer Valley | — | Wareham | Greenfield |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Wareham Senior High | Greenfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.6Lowest |
10.9Highest |
| 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.