Compare towns
Bourne vs Buzzards Bay vs Reading
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%).
Reading has the highest household income ($166k).
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 | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323 |
2,909Lowest |
25,612Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
43.7±2.3Lowest 9% 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%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±2.3Lowest 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%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
66.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest 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 |
$94,388±$12k 9% below MA |
$165,912±$13kHighest 60% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$454,500±$28kLowest 19% below MA |
$809,000±$22kHighest 44% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
$1,991±$273Highest 13% above MA |
| Reading 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 |
$9,320Highest 56% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3 MA: 51.8% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Buzzards Bay 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% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
82.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
31 min 6% above MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3 MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #206 of 282 in MA | — | #50 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | — | Reading |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | — | Reading Memorial High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
— | 12.1Highest |
| 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.