What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bourne has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.5%).

Wolfeboro has the most people working from home (22.9%).

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	Wolfeboro
People
Population	20,323Highest	6,571Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	52±1.8Lowest 34% above U.S.	57±1.8Highest 47% above U.S.
Kids under 18	14.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22%	13.7%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bourne and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.8%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	34.6%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Wolfeboro 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%	45%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,058±$7kLowest 13% above U.S.	$94,375±$22kHighest 17% above U.S.
	Wolfeboro 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.	$546,500±$60kLowest 64% above U.S.
	Bourne and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$300Highest about the U.S. average	$1,103±$76Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Bourne and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,485Lowest 44% above U.S.	$4,531Highest 45% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	12%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	6.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest about the U.S. average	24 minLowest 10% below U.S.
Work from home	14.9%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.9%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Wolfeboro 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	#46 of 120 in NH
School district	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical	Governor Wentworth Regional School District
High school in town	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical	Kingswood Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8Lowest	11.1Highest
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.