What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bourne has the most expensive homes ($576k median).

Putnam has the most affordable homes ($269k 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.

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

Measure	Bourne	Putnam
People
Population	20,323Highest	9,292Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.5% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	52±1.8Highest 34% above U.S.	43.7±3Lowest 12% above U.S.
Kids under 18	14.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Putnam 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 U.S.: 17.2%	18.5%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	46%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	20%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bourne and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,058±$7kHighest 13% above U.S.	$70,561±$7kLowest 13% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$575,600±$28kHighest 73% above U.S.	$269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$300Highest about the U.S. average	$1,149±$44Lowest 19% below U.S.
	Bourne and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,485Highest 44% above U.S.	$3,860Lowest 24% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	6.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	11.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	59.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S.	1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest about the U.S. average	25 minLowest 6% below U.S.
Work from home	14.9%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bourne and Putnam 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	#128 of 149 in CT
School district	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical	Putnam School District
High school in town	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical	Putnam High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8Highest	9.5Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.