Compare towns
Bourne vs Berlin vs Buzzards Bay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bourne has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Berlin has the most people working from home (29.1%).
Buzzards Bay has the most affordable homes ($455k 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 | Bourne | Berlin | Buzzards Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
3,378 |
2,909Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.2% MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
49.7±2.8Lowest 24% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.4%±4.5 MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Bourne and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
30.1%±5.9 MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46% MA: 47.3% |
48.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
29.6%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
4.3%±2.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
$121,336±$12kHighest 17% above MA |
$94,388±$12k 9% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$616,600±$55kHighest 10% above MA |
$454,500±$28kLowest 19% below MA |
| Berlin and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$2,420±$933Highest 37% above MA |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
| Berlin and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 25% below MA |
$7,116Highest 19% above MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.6%±19.7 MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
5%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
77.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1992Highest 28 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
34 minHighest 17% above MA |
32 min 10% above MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
29.1%±6.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Berlin and Buzzards Bay 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 | #206 of 282 in MA | #61 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Berlin-Boylston | — |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
— | — |
| 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.