Compare towns
Rochester vs Bourne vs Westminster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rochester has the highest household income ($120k).
Bourne has the most people working from home (14.9%).
Westminster has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.9%).
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 | Rochester | Bourne | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,837Lowest |
20,323Highest |
8,374 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.3% MA: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+12.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±6Lowest 16% above MA |
52±1.8Highest 30% above MA |
48.3±4.6 21% above MA |
| Bourne and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±4.6 MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.3%±4.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Westminster and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.1%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
26%±5.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Bourne and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
45.9% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
1.8%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Bourne and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $120,273±$12kHighest 16% above MA |
$91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
$106,331±$22k about the MA average |
| Rochester and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $599,100±$31kHighest 7% above MA |
$575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$422,000±$36kLowest 25% below MA |
| Rochester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,432±$743 19% below MA |
$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,843±$268Highest 5% above MA |
| Westminster and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,530Highest 9% above MA |
$4,485Lowest 25% below MA |
$4,973 17% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.1%±10.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
60%±27.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.4% MA: 10% |
6.2%Highest MA: 10% |
2.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
87.6% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1977 13 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 25% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
27 min 7% below MA |
| Work from home | 8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.5%±4.2 MA: 18.6% |
| Bourne and Westminster 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 | #104 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA | #112 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Ashburnham-Westminster |
| High school in town | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Oakmont Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.1Lowest |
9.8 |
13.6Highest |
| 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.