What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bourne has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.5%).

Dedham has the highest household income ($129k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bourne	Dedham
People
Population	20,323Lowest	25,237Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.5%Highest MA: +7.4%	+2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	52±1.8Highest 30% above MA	44.6±1.6Lowest 12% above MA
Kids under 18	14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4%	18.6%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Dedham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9%	21.9%±2Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	46%Lowest MA: 47.3%	55%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9%	5.6%±1Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Bourne and Dedham 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	$128,955±$10kHighest 24% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$575,600±$28kLowest about the MA average	$661,800±$16kHighest 18% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA	$2,042±$182Highest 16% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,485Lowest 25% below MA	$7,918Highest 32% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8%	56.4%±10Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Bourne and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.2%Highest MA: 10%	5.6%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.8%Highest MA: 62.5%	73.4%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA	1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 11% below MA	29 minHighest about the MA average
Work from home	14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6%	20%±2.7Highest MA: 18.6%
	Dedham and Bourne 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	#119 of 282 in MA
School district	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical	Dedham
High school in town	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical	Dedham High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8Lowest	10.4Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.