Compare towns
Sandwich vs Buzzards Bay vs Bourne
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sandwich has the highest household income ($122k).
Buzzards Bay has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
Bourne has the shortest commute (26 min average).
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 | Sandwich | Buzzards Bay | Bourne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,522Highest |
2,909Lowest |
20,323 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.8±1.8Lowest 30% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
52±1.8 30% above MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.3%±2Highest MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
| Sandwich and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.4%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 51.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
29.6%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
46% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $122,486±$12kHighest 18% above MA |
$94,388±$12k 9% below MA |
$91,058±$7kLowest 12% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $601,400±$26kHighest 7% above MA |
$454,500±$28kLowest 19% below MA |
$575,600±$28k about the MA average |
| Sandwich and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,751±$121Highest about the MA average |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
| Sandwich and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,483Highest 8% above MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.9%±13.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3 MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Bourne and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7% MA: 10% |
7.3%Highest MA: 10% |
6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 18 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% below MA |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
| Buzzards Bay and Bourne 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 | #77 of 282 in MA | — | #206 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Sandwich | — | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Sandwich Middle High School | — | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Highest |
— | 9.8Lowest |
| 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.