Compare towns
Bourne vs Salisbury vs Suffield vs Buzzards Bay
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 expensive homes ($576k median).
Salisbury has the most people working from home (19.8%).
Suffield has the highest household income ($119k).
Buzzards Bay has the oldest population (median age 54.4).
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 | Salisbury | Suffield | Buzzards Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
9,281 |
15,702 |
2,909Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+11.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +10.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 34% above U.S. |
51.3±3.5 32% above U.S. |
44.5±1.7Lowest 14% above U.S. |
54.4±5.9Highest 40% above U.S. |
| Buzzards Bay 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% |
13.1%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Suffield and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
32.3%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne 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% |
43.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
29.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
8.9%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne 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 13% above U.S. |
$93,361±$6k 16% above U.S. |
$119,472±$13kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$94,388±$12k 17% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$478,700±$27k 44% above U.S. |
$407,500±$26kLowest 22% above U.S. |
$454,500±$28k 37% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,691±$411Highest 20% above U.S. |
$1,424±$141 about the U.S. average |
$1,484±$601 5% above U.S. |
| Salisbury and Buzzards Bay 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. |
$4,604 48% above U.S. |
$6,456Highest 107% above U.S. |
$3,405Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±11.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
51%±4.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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% U.S.: 12.5% |
5% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
71.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 22% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±6.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Salisbury and Suffield 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 | #240 of 282 in MA | #57 of 149 in CT | — |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Triton | Suffield School District | — |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town | Suffield High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
— | 10.9Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.