Compare towns
Bourne vs Thomaston 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).
Thomaston has the most kids (20.5% under 18).
Buzzards Bay has the most people working from home (17.4%).
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 | Thomaston | Buzzards Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323Highest |
7,492 |
2,909Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +10.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8 34% above U.S. |
41.5±7.7Lowest 7% 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% |
20.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Thomaston 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% |
18.6%±3.6Lowest 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% |
34% U.S.: 35.7% |
29.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.5%±2.1Lowest 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. |
$103,218±$15kHighest 28% above U.S. |
$94,388±$12k 17% above U.S. |
| Thomaston and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$282,600±$23kLowest 15% below U.S. |
$454,500±$28k 37% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300 about the U.S. average |
$1,037±$147Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$1,484±$601Highest 5% above U.S. |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne 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. |
$5,915Highest 90% above U.S. |
$3,405Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.9%±22 U.S.: 51.1% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bourne and Thomaston 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% |
2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
77.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
27 min about the U.S. average |
32 minHighest 22% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.6%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±6.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Buzzards Bay 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 | #106 of 149 in CT | — |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Thomaston School District | — |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Thomaston High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
10.7Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.