Compare towns
Hardwick vs Wareham Center vs Wareham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hardwick has the most kids (20.5% under 18).
Wareham Center has the most people working from home (21.5%).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Hardwick | Wareham Center | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,684Lowest |
3,635 |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -10.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±9.8Lowest 13% above MA |
50.7±6.9 27% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
| Wareham and Wareham Center are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±5.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
12%±6.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Hardwick and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±5 MA: 17.9% |
19%±5.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
20.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
27.1% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±4.4 MA: 7.9% |
9.7%±5.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Wareham Center and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $75,000±$22kLowest 28% below MA |
$91,936±$8kHighest 12% below MA |
$90,383±$11k 13% below MA |
| Wareham Center and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $346,700±$67kLowest 38% below MA |
$425,700±$54kHighest 24% below MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
| Wareham Center and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,108±$119Lowest 37% below MA |
$1,415±$537 20% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
| Wareham and Wareham Center are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,400Highest 27% below MA |
$4,217Lowest 30% below MA |
$4,341 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59%±13.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
56.9%±27.1 MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Hardwick and Wareham Center are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11%Highest MA: 10% |
5.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72% MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968Highest 4 yrs newer than MA |
1946Lowest 18 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 7% above MA |
29 min about the MA average |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 8.7%±4.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
21.5%±13Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Wareham Center and Wareham 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 | #163 of 282 in MA | — | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Quabbin | — | Wareham |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.6 |
| 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.