Compare towns
Bourne vs Rochester vs Kingston
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).
Rochester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.3%).
Kingston has the most people working from home (19.5%).
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 | Rochester | Kingston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
5,837Lowest |
14,027 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+8.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
46.5±6Lowest 16% above MA |
46.5±3.9Lowest 16% above MA |
| Bourne and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.9%±3.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Rochester and Kingston 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% |
20.1%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.8%±3.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46% MA: 47.3% |
43.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
48.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
2.7%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Rochester 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 |
$120,273±$12kHighest 16% above MA |
$119,876±$13k 15% above MA |
| Rochester and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kLowest about the MA average |
$599,100±$31k 7% above MA |
$610,600±$30kHighest 9% above MA |
| Kingston and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$1,432±$743Highest 19% below MA |
$1,159±$244Lowest 34% below MA |
| Rochester 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 |
$6,530 9% above MA |
$7,650Highest 28% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
39.1%±10.2 MA: 51.8% |
35.9%±13Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Highest MA: 10% |
5.4% MA: 10% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
88.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
81.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1982 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
37 minHighest 25% above MA |
35 min 20% above MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
19.5%±4.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Kingston 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 | #104 of 282 in MA | #99 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | Kingston · Silver Lake |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | Silver Lake Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
9.1Lowest |
12.0Highest |
| 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.