Compare towns
Bourne vs Buzzards Bay vs Dunstable vs Wareham
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).
Buzzards Bay has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
Dunstable has the highest household income ($209k).
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 | Bourne | Buzzards Bay | Dunstable | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323 |
2,909Lowest |
3,408 |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+5.6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
41.5±2.4Lowest 4% above MA |
52.1±3.1 30% 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 | 14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.4%±4.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
15%±2.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne 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% |
29.6% MA: 47.3% |
62.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
7.1%±2.5 MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Dunstable are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$94,388±$12k 9% below MA |
$208,512±$23kHighest 101% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$454,500±$28k 19% below MA |
$674,000±$30kHighest 20% above MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
$1,325±$637Lowest 25% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% 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 | $4,485 25% below MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
$9,020Highest 51% above MA |
$4,341 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
60%±77.1 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Dunstable are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
7.3%Highest MA: 10% |
0.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
96.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1987Highest 23 yrs newer than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 min 10% above MA |
34 minHighest 18% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3 MA: 18.6% |
20%±3.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Dunstable 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 | — | #4 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | — | Groton-Dunstable | Wareham |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | — | None in town | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Highest |
— | — | 8.6Lowest |
| 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.