Compare towns
Bourne vs Pelham vs Wareham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bourne has the most renters (24.2% rent).
Pelham has the most people working from home (22.8%).
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 | Pelham | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323 |
14,449Lowest |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 34% above U.S. |
41.5±2.7Lowest 7% above U.S. |
52.1±3.1Highest 34% above U.S. |
| 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 U.S.: 22% |
22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.2%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| 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%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
40% U.S.: 35.7% |
27.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bourne and Pelham 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 13% above U.S. |
$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S. |
$90,383±$11kLowest 12% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$552,600±$27k 66% above U.S. |
$424,500±$21kLowest 28% above U.S. |
| Bourne and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,425±$88 about the U.S. average |
$1,504±$180Highest 6% above U.S. |
| Wareham and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 44% above U.S. |
$8,634Highest 177% above U.S. |
$4,341Lowest 39% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.4%±23.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Pelham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
83.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
30 minHighest 12% above U.S. |
28 min 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #206 of 282 in MA | #48 of 120 in NH | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Pelham School District | Wareham |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Pelham High School | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
10.4Highest |
8.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.