Compare towns
Bourne vs Fairhaven vs Wareham vs Sagamore
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).
Fairhaven has the most renters (25.6% rent).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
Sagamore has the most people working from home (19.7%).
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 | Fairhaven | Wareham | Sagamore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323 |
15,903 |
23,302Highest |
4,072Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
48.5±3.4 21% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
47.9±5.8Lowest 20% 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% |
16.9%±2.7 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20%±5.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Sagamore and Fairhaven 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% |
24.9%±2.9 MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
21.1%±4.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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% |
32.5% MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
48.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.3%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
5%±3.7 MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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 |
$95,965±$19k 8% below MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
$108,315±$38kHighest 4% above MA |
| Sagamore and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$446,700±$19k 21% below MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
$575,700±$56kHighest about the MA average |
| Sagamore and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$1,118±$79Lowest 37% below MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
$2,123±$330Highest 20% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 25% below MA |
$3,566Lowest 40% below MA |
$4,341 28% below MA |
$4,796Highest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
51.1%±14Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
68.1%±73.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Sagamore and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
8.3%Highest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
2.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
74.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
84%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
29 minHighest about the MA average |
28 min 5% below MA |
26 min 10% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
11.4%±3.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
19.7%±6Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Sagamore 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 | #126 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Fairhaven | Wareham | — |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Fairhaven High | Wareham Senior High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
11.4Highest |
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.