Compare towns
Bourne vs Milton vs Reading vs Salisbury
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).
Milton has the most expensive homes ($933k median).
Reading has the most people working from home (30.2%).
Salisbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.5%).
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 | Milton | Reading | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323 |
28,587Highest |
25,612 |
9,281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
41.1±1.8Lowest about the MA average |
43.7±2.3 9% above MA |
51.3±3.5 28% above MA |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
25.3%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Milton and Reading 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% |
16.1%±1.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
25.5%±3.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
71.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
66.3% MA: 47.3% |
43.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
9.7%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±1.7 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
$188,529±$15kHighest 81% above MA |
$165,912±$13k 60% above MA |
$93,361±$6k 10% below MA |
| Milton and Reading 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 |
$933,200±$31kHighest 66% above MA |
$809,000±$22k 44% above MA |
$478,700±$27kLowest 15% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,474±$281 16% below MA |
$1,991±$273Highest 13% above MA |
$1,691±$411 4% below MA |
| Reading and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485Lowest 25% below MA |
$9,677Highest 61% above MA |
$9,320 56% above MA |
$4,604 23% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
45.7%±20.9 MA: 51.8% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
61.9%±11.5 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
4.7% MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
5% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
85.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
82.4% MA: 62.5% |
71.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
31 minHighest 8% above MA |
31 min 6% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
29.7%±2.9 MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
19.8%±5.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Reading and Milton 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 | #55 of 282 in MA | #50 of 282 in MA | #240 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Milton | Reading | Triton |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Milton High | Reading Memorial High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
12.4Highest |
12.1 |
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| 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.