What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bourne has the most expensive homes ($576k median).

Thompson has the most affordable homes ($292k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bourne	Thompson
People
Population	20,323Highest	9,337Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.5% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	52±1.8Lowest 34% above U.S.	54.1±2.2Highest 39% above U.S.
	Thompson and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22%	11.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bourne and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.8%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bourne and Thompson 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%	21.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.9%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,058±$7kLowest 13% above U.S.	$93,629±$18kHighest 16% above U.S.
	Thompson 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 73% above U.S.	$291,900±$24kLowest 12% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$300Highest about the U.S. average	$1,012±$344Lowest 28% below U.S.
	Bourne and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,485Highest 44% above U.S.	$3,822Lowest 23% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	54%±18.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bourne and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	84.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S.	1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest about the U.S. average	32 minHighest 20% above U.S.
Work from home	14.9%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	13.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bourne and Thompson 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	#130 of 149 in CT
School district	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical	Thompson School District
High school in town	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical	Tourtellotte Memorial High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8Highest	7.9Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.