Compare towns
Bourne vs Sturbridge vs Wareham vs Sagamore
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 renters (24.2% rent).
Sturbridge has the highest household income ($132k).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
Sagamore has the most people working from home (19.7%).
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 | Sturbridge | Wareham | Sagamore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,323 |
2,443Lowest |
23,302Highest |
4,072 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.9% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 30% above MA |
47.8±6.8Lowest 20% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
47.9±5.8 20% above MA |
| Wareham 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 MA: 19.4% |
18.7%±4.9 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20%±5.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Sagamore and Sturbridge 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% |
19.1%±7.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
21.1%±4.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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% |
55.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
48.9% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.9%±3.8 MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
5%±3.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Sturbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$131,568±$34kHighest 27% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
$108,315±$38k 4% above MA |
| Sturbridge and Sagamore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$418,400±$29kLowest 26% below MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
$575,700±$56kHighest about the MA average |
| Sagamore and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$2,009±$225 14% above MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
$2,123±$330Highest 20% above MA |
| Sagamore and Sturbridge 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 |
$6,410Highest 7% above MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
$4,796 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
29.1%±19.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
68.1%±73.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Sagamore and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.2% MA: 10% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
2.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.3% MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
84%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
26 min 10% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
14%±9.4 MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
19.7%±6Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Sagamore 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 | #89 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | — | Wareham | — |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | — | 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 | 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.