Compare towns
Bourne vs Fall River vs Mashpee 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 people working from home (14.9%).
Fall River has the most renters (64.7% rent).
Mashpee has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.5%).
Sandwich has the highest household income ($122k).
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 | Fall River | Mashpee | Sandwich |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323 |
94,082Highest |
15,384Lowest |
20,522 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+7.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
55.9±1.8Highest 40% above MA |
51.8±1.8 30% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.9%±1.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
17.3%±2 MA: 19.4% |
| Fall River and Sandwich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
16.1%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
33.1%±2.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
27.4%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
| Mashpee 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% |
16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
44.3% MA: 47.3% |
51.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
4.5%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Mashpee 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 |
$56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$95,299±$13k 8% below MA |
$122,486±$12kHighest 18% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$562,200±$29k about the MA average |
$601,400±$26kHighest 7% above MA |
| Sandwich 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 |
$1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,776±$330Highest about the MA average |
$1,751±$121 about the MA average |
| Mashpee and Sandwich 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 |
$3,953 34% below MA |
$3,762Lowest 37% below MA |
$6,483Highest 8% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
44.7%±14.5 MA: 51.8% |
31.9%±13.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
5.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
81.9% MA: 62.5% |
89.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1988Highest 24 yrs newer than MA |
1982 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
27 min 6% below MA |
28 minHighest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.5%±3 MA: 18.6% |
14.5%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Bourne and Mashpee 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 | #262 of 282 in MA | #100 of 282 in MA | #77 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Mashpee | Sandwich |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | B M C Durfee High | Mashpee Middle-High School | Sandwich Middle High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
11.3Highest |
9.6Lowest |
10.7 |
| 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.