Compare towns
Deerfield vs Rochester vs Wareham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Deerfield has the most people working from home (17.5%).
Rochester has the most kids (20.1% under 18).
Wareham has the oldest housing (typical home built 1958).
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 | Deerfield | Rochester | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,158Lowest |
5,837 |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.8±3.6 30% above MA |
46.5±6Lowest 16% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
| Wareham and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.2%±3.7 MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Rochester and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
20.1%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
43.5% MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.9%±3.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Deerfield and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $106,136±$14k about the MA average |
$120,273±$12kHighest 16% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Rochester and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $414,900±$37kLowest 26% below MA |
$599,100±$31kHighest 7% above MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,334±$318Lowest 24% below MA |
$1,432±$743 19% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
| Wareham and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,824 about the MA average |
$6,530Highest 9% above MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 26.1%±15.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
39.1%±10.2 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Wareham and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.8%Highest MA: 10% |
5.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
88.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 8 yrs newer than MA |
1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 40% below MA |
37 minHighest 25% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 17.5%±6.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Deerfield and Wareham 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 | #156 of 282 in MA | #104 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Deerfield · Frontier | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | Wareham |
| High school in town | Frontier Regional | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Highest |
9.1 |
8.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.