Compare towns
Gloucester vs Barnstable Town vs Bourne
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gloucester has the most renters (36.1% rent).
Barnstable Town has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.2%).
Bourne has the most people working from home (14.9%).
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 | Gloucester | Barnstable Town | Bourne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 30,075 |
49,568Highest |
20,323Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 50.2±2.3 26% above MA |
49.1±1.9Lowest 23% above MA |
52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
| Bourne and Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.1%±1.6 MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Barnstable Town and Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.9%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
26.8%±1.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
42.1% MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.5%±1 MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Barnstable Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $83,883±$6kLowest 19% below MA |
$91,982±$6kHighest 12% below MA |
$91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
| Barnstable Town and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $600,600±$18k 7% above MA |
$602,500±$14kHighest 7% above MA |
$575,600±$28kLowest about the MA average |
| Barnstable Town and Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,411±$94 20% below MA |
$1,917±$127Highest 9% above MA |
$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,152Highest about the MA average |
$3,975Lowest 34% below MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.1%±7.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
64.6%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5 MA: 51.8% |
| Barnstable Town and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.6%Highest MA: 10% |
7.4% MA: 10% |
6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 63.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.7% MA: 62.5% |
75.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1946Lowest 18 yrs older than MA |
1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA |
1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 18% below MA |
25 min 15% below MA |
26 minHighest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.7%±2.3 MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±2.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Bourne and Gloucester 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 | #164 of 282 in MA | #189 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Gloucester | Barnstable | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Gloucester High | Barnstable High | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.0 |
10.6Highest |
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.