Compare towns
Bourne vs Shelburne vs Wareham
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 most expensive homes ($576k median).
Shelburne has the most people working from home (17.7%).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Shelburne | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323 |
1,567Lowest |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
-0.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Lowest 30% above MA |
57±7.3Highest 43% above MA |
52.1±3.1 30% above MA |
| Shelburne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.5%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
38.4%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46% MA: 47.3% |
51.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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 12% below MA |
$83,000±$4kLowest 20% below MA |
$90,383±$11k 13% below MA |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$405,400±$32kLowest 28% below MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$1,080±$105Lowest 39% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
| Wareham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485 25% below MA |
$4,595Highest 23% below MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
39.1%±7.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
10.4%Highest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
67.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
29 minHighest about the MA average |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
17.7%±6Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Shelburne 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 | — | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Mohawk Trail | Wareham |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Highest |
— | 8.6Lowest |
| 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.