What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gardner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.2%).

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	Gardner	Bourne
People
Population	21,148Highest	20,323Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.2%Highest MA: +7.4%	+3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±2.3Lowest 9% above MA	52±1.8Highest 30% above MA
Kids under 18	18.3%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4%	14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Gardner and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.6%±2.2Lowest MA: 17.9%	29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	23.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	46%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9%
	Bourne and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$67,518±$8kLowest 35% below MA	$91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$301,600±$20kLowest 46% below MA	$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,109±$51Lowest 37% below MA	$1,379±$300Highest 22% below MA
	Bourne and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,150Lowest 31% below MA	$4,485Highest 25% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.7%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8%	62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8%
	Bourne and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.7%Highest MA: 10%	6.2%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%	75.8%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 5% above MA	26 minLowest 11% below MA
Work from home	13.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6%
	Bourne and Gardner 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	#273 of 282 in MA	#206 of 282 in MA
School district	Gardner	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical
High school in town	Gardner High	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical
Students per teacherat that high school	13.5Highest	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.