Compare towns
Fall River vs Bourne
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fall River has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.8%).
Bourne has the most homeowners (75.8%).
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 | Fall River | Bourne |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
20,323Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,379±$300Highest 22% below MA |
| Bourne and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$4,485Highest 25% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
26 minHighest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
9.8Lowest |
| 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.