Compare towns
Bourne vs Reading vs Salisbury
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 shortest commute (26 min average).
Reading has the highest household income ($166k).
Salisbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.5%).
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 | Reading | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323 |
25,612Highest |
9,281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
43.7±2.3Lowest 9% above MA |
51.3±3.5 28% above MA |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
22.8%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
25.5%±3.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
66.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
43.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±1.7 MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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 |
$165,912±$13kHighest 60% above MA |
$93,361±$6k 10% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$809,000±$22kHighest 44% above MA |
$478,700±$27kLowest 15% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,991±$273Highest 13% above MA |
$1,691±$411 4% below MA |
| Reading and Salisbury 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 |
$9,320Highest 56% above MA |
$4,604 23% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
61.9%±11.5 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Highest MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
5% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
82.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
71.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
31 minHighest 6% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
19.8%±5.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #206 of 282 in MA | #50 of 282 in MA | #240 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Reading | Triton |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Reading Memorial High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
12.1Highest |
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| 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.