What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bourne has the shortest commute (26 min average).

Pembroke has the highest household income ($146k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bourne	Pembroke
People
Population	20,323Highest	18,382Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.5%Highest MA: +7.4%	+2.9%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	52±1.8Highest 30% above MA	45.5±3.3Lowest 14% above MA
Kids under 18	14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4%	19.3%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4%
	Pembroke 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%	19.4%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	46%Highest MA: 47.3%	44.7%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9%	4.9%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Bourne and Pembroke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA	$146,285±$17kHighest 41% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$575,600±$28kLowest about the MA average	$586,500±$28kHighest 4% above MA
	Pembroke and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA	$2,464±$753Highest 40% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,485Lowest 25% below MA	$6,585Highest 10% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8%	42.1%±5.6Lowest MA: 51.8%
Below poverty line	6.2%Highest MA: 10%	4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%	90.1%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA	1974Lowest 10 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 11% below MA	35 minHighest 19% above MA
Work from home	14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6%	21.2%±5.6Highest MA: 18.6%
	Pembroke 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	#82 of 282 in MA
School district	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical	Pembroke
High school in town	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical	Pembroke High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8Lowest	12.3Highest
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.