Compare towns
Bourne vs Dunstable vs Wareham vs Sandwich
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 most renters (24.2% rent).
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 | Dunstable | Wareham | Sandwich |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323 |
3,408Lowest |
23,302Highest |
20,522 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+5.6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
41.5±2.4Lowest 4% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
51.8±1.8 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 | 14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
22.4%±4.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
17.3%±2 MA: 19.4% |
| Dunstable and Sandwich 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% |
15%±2.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
27.4%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Sandwich 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% |
62.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
51.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
7.1%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Dunstable 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±$7k 12% below MA |
$208,512±$23kHighest 101% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
$122,486±$12k 18% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$674,000±$30kHighest 20% above MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
$601,400±$26k 7% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$1,325±$637Lowest 25% below MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
$1,751±$121Highest about the MA average |
| Sandwich and Wareham 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 |
$9,020Highest 51% above MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
$6,483 8% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
60%±77.1 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
31.9%±13.7Lowest 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% |
0.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
96.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
89.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1987Highest 23 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1982 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
34 minHighest 18% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
20%±3.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.5%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Dunstable 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 | #4 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA | #77 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Groton-Dunstable | Wareham | Sandwich |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town | Wareham Senior High | Sandwich Middle High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
— | 8.6Lowest |
10.7Highest |
| 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.