Compare towns
Carver vs Bourne vs Plympton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Carver has the most affordable homes ($434k median).
Bourne has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Plympton has the highest household income ($127k).
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 | Carver | Bourne | Plympton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,712 |
20,323Highest |
2,935Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+3.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.9±3.5Lowest 15% above MA |
52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
46.4±4.2 16% above MA |
| Bourne and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±5Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Plympton and Carver are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23%±3.3 MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
22.7%±5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
38.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Carver are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,250±$23k 12% below MA |
$91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
$126,736±$20kHighest 22% above MA |
| Plympton and Carver are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $434,200±$21kLowest 23% below MA |
$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$517,800±$52k 8% below MA |
| Bourne and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,827±$345Highest 4% above MA |
$1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$555±$148Lowest 69% below MA |
| Carver and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,455 8% above MA |
$4,485Lowest 25% below MA |
$6,628Highest 11% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55%±23.1 MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
50.8%±40.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Carver are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5% MA: 10% |
6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
10.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.7% MA: 62.5% |
75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
93.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 16 yrs newer than MA |
1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 13% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±6Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Plympton 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 | #237 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA | #110 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Carver | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Plympton |
| High school in town | Carver Middle/High School | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.7Lowest |
9.8Highest |
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| 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.