Compare towns
Bourne vs Milton vs Reading 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 renters (24.2% rent).
Milton has the most expensive homes ($933k median).
Reading has the most people working from home (30.2%).
Wareham has the most affordable homes ($425k median).
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 | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323Lowest |
28,587Highest |
25,612 |
23,302 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
41.1±1.8Lowest about the MA average |
43.7±2.3 9% 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% |
25.3%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest 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% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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% |
27.1%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% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$188,529±$15kHighest 81% above MA |
$165,912±$13k 60% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% 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 |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,474±$281 16% below MA |
$1,991±$273Highest 13% above MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 25% below MA |
$9,677Highest 61% above MA |
$9,320 56% above MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% 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% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
4.7% MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
82.4% MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older 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%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
29.7%±2.9 MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest 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 | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Milton | Reading | Wareham |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Milton High | Reading Memorial High | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
12.4Highest |
12.1 |
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.