Compare towns
Bourne vs Sunderland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bourne has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.5%).
Sunderland has the most renters (58% rent).
Sunderland is a college town. 25.5% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
3,641Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-0.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
35.1±1.9Lowest 12% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
9%±3.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.4%±4.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
62.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
25.5%±9.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA |
$68,083±$3kLowest 35% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$458,100±$52kLowest 19% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,672±$151Highest 5% below MA |
| Sunderland 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 |
$5,611Highest 6% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
72.1%±12.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Sunderland and Bourne 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% |
14.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
42%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 11% below MA |
17 minLowest 41% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
16.6%±4.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Sunderland 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 | #220 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Sunderland |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.