Compare towns
Bourne vs Hull vs Wareham vs Buzzards Bay
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 kids (14.7% under 18).
Hull has the highest household income ($115k).
Wareham has the most affordable homes ($425k median).
Buzzards Bay has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
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 | Hull | Wareham | Buzzards Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323 |
10,138 |
23,302Highest |
2,909Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
-2.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8% MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Lowest 30% above MA |
56.1±1.8Highest 40% above MA |
52.1±3.1 30% above MA |
54.4±5.9 36% above MA |
| Hull and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
11.4%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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% |
26.1%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Buzzards Bay 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% |
50.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
29.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
4.2%±2.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Buzzards Bay 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 |
$115,485±$14kHighest 11% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
$94,388±$12k 9% below MA |
| Hull and Buzzards Bay 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 |
$646,000±$38kHighest 15% above MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
$454,500±$28k 19% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$2,081±$187Highest 18% above MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 25% below MA |
$6,089Highest about the MA average |
$4,341 28% below MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±14 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Hull are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
5.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
7.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
79.6% MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1946Lowest 18 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
32 min 10% above MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
19.7%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Hull and Buzzards Bay 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 | #66 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | — | Wareham | — |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | — | Wareham Senior High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Highest |
— | 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.