What stands out worked out from the figures below

Easthampton has the most affordable homes ($372k median).

Bourne has the most expensive homes ($576k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Easthampton	Bourne
People
Population	16,086Lowest	20,323Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+3.5% MA: +7.4%
Median age	46±2.6Lowest 15% above MA	52±1.8Highest 30% above MA
Kids under 18	15.5%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4%	14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Easthampton and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	23.9%±3Lowest MA: 17.9%	29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9%
	Bourne and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	38%Lowest MA: 47.3%	46%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.1%±1.9Lowest MA: 7.9%	6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9%
	Bourne and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$71,673±$7kLowest 31% below MA	$91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$371,500±$15kLowest 34% below MA	$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$70Lowest 27% below MA	$1,379±$300Highest 22% below MA
	Bourne and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,932Highest 18% below MA	$4,485Lowest 25% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.5%±10.7Lowest MA: 51.8%	62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8%
Below poverty line	8%Highest MA: 10%	6.2%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.4%Lowest MA: 62.5%	75.8%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Lowest 2 yrs newer than MA	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 23% below MA	26 minHighest 11% below MA
Work from home	19%±3.2Highest MA: 18.6%	14.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Easthampton 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	#92 of 282 in MA	#206 of 282 in MA
School district	Easthampton	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical
High school in town	Easthampton High	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8	9.8
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.