Compare towns
Rochester vs Meredith vs Wareham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rochester has the most kids (20.1% under 18).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Wareham has the most affordable homes ($425k median).
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 | Meredith | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,837Lowest |
6,758 |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±6Lowest 20% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
52.1±3.1 34% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
13.1%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 20.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.2%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
27.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Wareham 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 49% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$90,383±$11k 12% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $599,100±$31kHighest 80% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
$424,500±$21kLowest 28% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,432±$743 about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,504±$180Highest 6% above U.S. |
| Wareham and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,530Highest 109% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
$4,341Lowest 39% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.1%±10.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.4%±23.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Wareham and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
83.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 min 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.4%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #104 of 282 in MA | #62 of 120 in NH | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Wareham |
| High school in town | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | Inter-Lakes High School | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.1 |
11.1Highest |
8.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.