Compare towns
Brookline vs Bourne vs Auburn
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookline has the most kids (26.7% under 18).
Bourne has the most renters (24.2% rent).
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).
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 | Brookline | Bourne | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,736Lowest |
20,323Highest |
6,119 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +13% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+20%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.2±1.5Lowest 6% above U.S. |
52±1.8Highest 34% above U.S. |
44.3±5.9 14% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 26.7%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.3%±4.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Brookline and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 11.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.8%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13.4%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.3%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.6%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.2%±4.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Auburn and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $171,046±$4kHighest 112% above U.S. |
$91,058±$7kLowest 13% above U.S. |
$153,253±$6k 90% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $544,400±$38kLowest 64% above U.S. |
$575,600±$28k 73% above U.S. |
$600,300±$29kHighest 80% above U.S. |
| Auburn and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,500±$1kHighest 77% above U.S. |
$1,379±$300Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,893±$822 34% above U.S. |
| Brookline and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,485Lowest 44% above U.S. |
$8,092 159% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 23.8%±43.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±27 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 0.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1984 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 min 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 24.7%±5.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.9%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
26.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Auburn and Brookline 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 | #23 of 120 in NH | #206 of 282 in MA | #44 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Brookline School District | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Auburn School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.8 |
— |
| 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.