Compare towns
Bourne vs Worcester vs Sandwich
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 people working from home (14.9%).
Worcester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.1%).
Sandwich has the highest household income ($122k).
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 | Worcester | Sandwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,323Lowest |
207,055Highest |
20,522 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
51.8±1.8 30% above MA |
| Bourne and Sandwich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±0.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.3%±2 MA: 19.4% |
| Worcester and Sandwich 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% |
13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
27.4%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Sandwich 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% |
35.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
51.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$70,102±$2kLowest 33% below MA |
$122,486±$12kHighest 18% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$374,400±$7kLowest 33% below MA |
$601,400±$26kHighest 7% above MA |
| Sandwich and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,487±$38 16% below MA |
$1,751±$121Highest about the MA average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,485Lowest 25% below MA |
$4,733 21% below MA |
$6,483Highest 8% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
54.2%±2.9 MA: 51.8% |
31.9%±13.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% MA: 62.5% |
42.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
89.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
1982Highest 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
24 minLowest 17% below MA |
28 minHighest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.5%±1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.5%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Bourne and Sandwich 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 | #266 of 282 in MA | #77 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Sandwich |
| High school in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | South High Community | Sandwich Middle High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
14.6Highest |
10.7 |
| 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.