Compare towns
Gardner vs Bourne vs South Ashburnham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gardner has the most renters (41.1% rent).
Bourne has the most expensive homes ($576k median).
South Ashburnham has the highest household income ($126k).
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 | Gardner | Bourne | South Ashburnham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 21,148Highest |
20,323 |
1,500Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.2% MA: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±2.3 9% above MA |
52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
38.1±10.4Lowest 5% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 18.3%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.1%±8.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| South Ashburnham and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.6%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
8.2%±4.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
7.2%±5.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
| South Ashburnham and Bourne 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±$7k 12% below MA |
$126,071±$42kHighest 21% above MA |
| South Ashburnham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $301,600±$20kLowest 46% below MA |
$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$370,300±$56k 34% below MA |
| 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 |
$4,485 25% below MA |
$4,896Highest 18% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.7%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
100%±10.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 13.7%Highest MA: 10% |
6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.8% MA: 62.5% |
91.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 5% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
29 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 13.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
14.7%±18.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Bourne and South Ashburnham 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 | 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.