Compare towns
Chester vs Bourne vs Clarksburg
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chester has the most kids (24.1% under 18).
Bourne has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.5%).
Clarksburg has the most affordable homes ($240k 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.
| Measure | Chester | Bourne | Clarksburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,240Lowest |
20,323Highest |
1,667 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-2.6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.9±3.7Lowest 15% above MA |
52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
49.8±7.1 25% above MA |
| Bourne and Clarksburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.1%±8.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
17.5%±4 MA: 19.4% |
| Chester and Clarksburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
28.8%±1.3 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Clarksburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
29.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.3%±1.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Clarksburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $89,390±$6k 14% below MA |
$91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA |
$77,143±$11kLowest 26% below MA |
| Bourne and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $281,900±$14k 50% below MA |
$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$239,900±$18kLowest 57% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$71Lowest 37% below MA |
$1,379±$300Highest 22% below MA |
$1,125±$190 36% below MA |
| Bourne and Clarksburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,522Highest 25% below MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
$2,993Lowest 50% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.1%±22.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
65.2%±56.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Clarksburg and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 1.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.2%Highest MA: 10% |
4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.5% MA: 62.5% |
75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
84.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1955 9 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 9% above MA |
26 min 11% below MA |
24 minLowest 18% below MA |
| Work from home | 7%±2.7 MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
5.6%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #206 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Gateway | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Clarksburg |
| 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 |
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.