Compare towns
Bourne vs Lancaster vs Sutton vs Kingston
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).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Sutton has the highest household income ($147k).
Kingston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Lancaster | Sutton | Kingston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
8,606Lowest |
9,452 |
14,027 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8% MA: +7.4% |
+4.4% MA: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
43.1±4.9Lowest 8% above MA |
44.3±2.5 11% above MA |
46.5±3.9 16% above MA |
| Bourne and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4 MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±3.3 MA: 19.4% |
19.9%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Kingston and Sutton 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% |
19.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
18.8%±3.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.8%±3.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
50.3% MA: 47.3% |
52.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
48.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
2.7%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
$134,833±$27k 30% above MA |
$147,125±$25kHighest 42% above MA |
$119,876±$13k 15% above MA |
| Sutton and Lancaster 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 |
$519,100±$60kLowest 8% below MA |
$523,100±$47k 7% below MA |
$610,600±$30kHighest 9% above MA |
| Kingston 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 |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$1,190±$401 32% below MA |
$1,159±$244Lowest 34% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485Lowest 25% below MA |
$7,235 21% above MA |
$6,763 13% above MA |
$7,650Highest 28% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
47.5%±24.4 MA: 51.8% |
35.9%±13Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Highest MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.8% MA: 10% |
3.1% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.1% MA: 62.5% |
89.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
81.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1971Lowest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1981 17 yrs newer than MA |
1982Highest 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 min 9% above MA |
30 min about the MA average |
35 minHighest 20% above MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.7%±4.1 MA: 18.6% |
19.5%±4.9 MA: 18.6% |
| Lancaster and Sutton 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 | #145 of 282 in MA | #105 of 282 in MA | #99 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Nashoba | Sutton | Kingston · Silver Lake |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town | Sutton High School | Silver Lake Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
— | 12.6Highest |
12.0 |
| 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.