Compare towns
Bourne vs Norfolk 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).
Norfolk has the highest household income ($201k).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323 |
11,673Lowest |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.9% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
41.6±1.3Lowest 4% 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% |
24.4%±3.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.8%±2Lowest 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% |
61.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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 |
$200,720±$22kHighest 93% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$725,200±$34kHighest 29% above MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$2,019±$598Highest 15% above MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
| Norfolk and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 25% below MA |
$9,651Highest 61% above MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
57.1%±16 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Lowest 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% MA: 10% |
2.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
94.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
36 minHighest 24% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
32.6%±5.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #206 of 282 in MA | #123 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | King Philip · Millis | Wareham |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town | 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 |
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.