What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gloucester has the most renters (36.1% rent).

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.

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

Measure	Gloucester	Bourne
People
Population	30,075Highest	20,323Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+3.5%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	50.2±2.3Lowest 26% 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%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4%	14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Gloucester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.9%±2.3Lowest 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%	46%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9%	6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$83,883±$6kLowest 19% below MA	$91,058±$7kHighest 12% below MA
	Bourne and Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$600,600±$18kHighest 7% above MA	$575,600±$28kLowest about the MA average
	Gloucester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,411±$94Highest 20% below MA	$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA
	Gloucester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,152Highest about the MA average	$4,485Lowest 25% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	55.1%±7.1Lowest MA: 51.8%	62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8%
	Bourne and Gloucester 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%	6.2%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	63.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%	75.8%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1946Lowest 18 yrs older than MA	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 18% below MA	26 minHighest 11% below MA
Work from home	12.7%±2.3Lowest 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	#206 of 282 in MA
School district	Gloucester	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical
High school in town	Gloucester High	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical
Students per teacherat that high school	10.0Highest	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.