Compare towns
Bolton 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
Bolton has the most people working from home (40.5%).
Bourne has the most renters (24.2% rent).
Wareham has the most affordable homes ($425k 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 | Bolton | Bourne | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,737Lowest |
20,323 |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +15.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.2±1.7Lowest 3% above 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 | 25%±3.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.7%±3.2Lowest 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+ | 81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
46% MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.5Lowest 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 | $205,449±$31kHighest 98% above MA |
$91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $796,000±$49kHighest 42% above MA |
$575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,583±$1kHighest 10% below MA |
$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
| Bolton and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 12.7%±45.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.2% MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 24 yrs newer than MA |
1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 26% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 40.5%±6.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #28 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Nashoba | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Wareham |
| High school in town | Nashoba Regional | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0Highest |
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.