Compare towns
Rochester vs Needham vs Wareham
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 most homeowners (88.1%).
Needham has the most people working from home (32.4%).
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 | Needham | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,837Lowest |
32,459Highest |
23,302 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.3% MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±6 16% above MA |
43.1±1.6Lowest 8% above MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
| Wareham and Rochester 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% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 20.1%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.5% MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Wareham and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $120,273±$12k 16% above MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
$90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $599,100±$31k 7% above MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
$424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,432±$743Lowest 19% below MA |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,530 9% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.1%±10.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Needham and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.4% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1965 1 yr newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 25% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #104 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | — | Wareham |
| High school in town | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | — | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.1Highest |
— | 8.6Lowest |
| 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.