Compare towns
Bourne vs Sunderland vs Salisbury
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).
Sunderland has the most renters (58% rent).
Salisbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.5%).
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 | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
3,641Lowest |
9,281 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
-0.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
35.1±1.9Lowest 12% below MA |
51.3±3.5 28% above MA |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
9%±3.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
16.4%±4.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
25.5%±3.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Salisbury 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% |
62.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
43.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
25.5%±9.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±1.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$68,083±$3kLowest 35% below MA |
$93,361±$6kHighest 10% below MA |
| Salisbury and Bourne 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 |
$458,100±$52kLowest 19% below MA |
$478,700±$27k 15% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,672±$151 5% below MA |
$1,691±$411Highest 4% below MA |
| Salisbury and Sunderland 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 |
$4,604 23% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
72.1%±12.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
61.9%±11.5Lowest 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% MA: 10% |
14.3%Highest MA: 10% |
5%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
42%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
71.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1979 15 yrs newer than MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
17 minLowest 41% below MA |
28 minHighest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
16.6%±4.7 MA: 18.6% |
19.8%±5.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Salisbury and Sunderland 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 | #240 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Sunderland | Triton |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town | 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 | 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.