Compare towns
Bourne vs Norfolk
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).
Norfolk has the highest household income ($201k).
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 | Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
11,673Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
41.6±1.3Lowest 4% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
24.4%±3.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.8%±2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
61.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
$200,720±$22kHighest 93% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kLowest about the MA average |
$725,200±$34kHighest 29% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$2,019±$598Highest 15% above MA |
| Norfolk and Bourne 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 |
$9,651Highest 61% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
57.1%±16Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Norfolk 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% |
2.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
94.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
36 minHighest 24% above MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32.6%±5.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #206 of 282 in MA | #123 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | King Philip · Millis |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.