Compare towns
Douglas vs Fairhaven vs Wareham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Douglas has the most people working from home (20.9%).
Fairhaven has the most renters (25.6% rent).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Douglas | Fairhaven | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,207Lowest |
15,903 |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% MA: +7.4% |
+0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44±2.6Lowest 10% above MA |
48.5±3.4 21% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
| Wareham and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.2%±3.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.9%±2.7 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Douglas and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.9%±2.9 MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
32.5% MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.3 MA: 7.9% |
3.3%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Wareham and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $152,267±$10kHighest 46% above MA |
$95,965±$19k 8% below MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $470,600±$29kHighest 16% below MA |
$446,700±$19k 21% below MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Douglas and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,503±$697 15% below MA |
$1,118±$79Lowest 37% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
| Wareham and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,338Highest 6% above MA |
$3,566Lowest 40% below MA |
$4,341 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.1%±14 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Wareham and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
8.3%Highest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
74.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 16% above MA |
29 min about the MA average |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 20.9%±4.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.4%±3.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Douglas 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 | #177 of 282 in MA | #126 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Douglas | Fairhaven | Wareham |
| High school in town | Douglas High School | Fairhaven High | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 7.2Lowest |
11.4Highest |
8.6 |
| 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.