Compare towns
Bourne vs North 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).
North Reading has the most people working from home (26.1%).
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 | North Reading | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323 |
15,765Lowest |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+4.4% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
43±2.8Lowest 8% 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% |
22.3%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.7%±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% |
56.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.2%±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 |
$147,768±$25kHighest 42% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$710,500±$24kHighest 26% above MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$2,259±$356Highest 28% above MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 25% below MA |
$9,693Highest 62% above MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
75.5%±25.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| North Reading and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
2.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
84.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
34 minHighest 15% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
26.1%±4.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #206 of 282 in MA | #33 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | North Reading | Wareham |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | North Reading High | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
10.1Highest |
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.