Compare towns
Bourne vs Norton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bourne has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.5%).
Norton has the highest household income ($125k).
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 | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
19,240Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+0.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
39.6±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
17.3%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Norton and Bourne 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% |
17.4%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
45.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
12.9%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
$124,535±$11kHighest 20% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$501,400±$27kLowest 11% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,911±$375Highest 8% above MA |
| Norton 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 |
$5,929Highest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.6%±8.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Highest MA: 10% |
4.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1982Highest 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 12% above MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
19%±3.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Norton and Bourne 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 | #173 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Norton |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Norton High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
10.9Highest |
| 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.