Compare towns
Sunderland vs Wareham vs Deerfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sunderland has the most renters (58% rent).
Wareham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
Deerfield has the highest household income ($106k).
Sunderland is a college town. 25.5% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Sunderland | Wareham | Deerfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,641Lowest |
23,302Highest |
5,158 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-0.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.1±1.9Lowest 12% below MA |
52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
51.8±3.6 30% above MA |
| Wareham and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 9%±3.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
13.2%±3.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Deerfield and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.4%±4.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
22.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 62.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
44.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 25.5%±9.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.9%±3.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,083±$3kLowest 35% below MA |
$90,383±$11k 13% below MA |
$106,136±$14kHighest about the MA average |
| Deerfield and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $458,100±$52kHighest 19% below MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
$414,900±$37kLowest 26% below MA |
| Sunderland and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,672±$151Highest 5% below MA |
$1,504±$180 15% below MA |
$1,334±$318Lowest 24% below MA |
| Sunderland and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,611 6% below MA |
$4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
$5,824Highest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 72.1%±12.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
26.1%±15.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Sunderland and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.3%Highest MA: 10% |
6.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
78.4% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1972 8 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 41% below MA |
28 minHighest 5% below MA |
18 min 40% below MA |
| Work from home | 16.6%±4.7 MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
17.5%±6.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Deerfield and Sunderland 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 | #220 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA | #156 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Sunderland | Wareham | Deerfield · Frontier |
| High school in town | None in town | Wareham Senior High | Frontier Regional |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.6Lowest |
11.1Highest |
| 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.