Compare towns
Bourne vs Great Barrington vs Wareham
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 expensive homes ($576k median).
Great Barrington has the most people working from home (23.6%).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Great Barrington | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323 |
7,202Lowest |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
49.7±4.2Lowest 24% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 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% |
14.9%±3.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Great Barrington 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% |
28.7%±4.7 MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Great Barrington 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% |
49.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
10.8%±2.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA |
$84,132±$11kLowest 19% below MA |
$90,383±$11k 13% below MA |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$494,300±$61k 12% below MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Bourne and Great Barrington 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 |
$1,314±$239Lowest 25% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
| Wareham and Bourne 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 |
$5,935Highest about the MA average |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
60.9%±15.2 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Great Barrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.2%Highest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
68.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
22 minLowest 25% below MA |
28 minHighest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
23.6%±6.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Great Barrington 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 | #139 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Berkshire Hills | Wareham |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Monument Mt Regional High | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Highest |
9.2 |
8.6Lowest |
| 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.