What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wareham has the most homeowners (83.5%).

Gardner has the most kids (18.3% under 18).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Wareham	Gardner
People
Population	23,302Highest	21,148Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4%	+5.2%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA	43.7±2.3Lowest 9% above MA
Kids under 18	13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4%	18.3%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9%	19.6%±2.2Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	27.1%Highest MA: 47.3%	23.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9%	4.6%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Wareham and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$90,383±$11kHighest 13% below MA	$67,518±$8kLowest 35% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$424,500±$21kHighest 24% below MA	$301,600±$20kLowest 46% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA	$1,109±$51Lowest 37% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,341Highest 28% below MA	$4,150Lowest 31% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.4%±23.3Highest MA: 51.8%	49.7%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Wareham and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.7%Lowest MA: 10%	13.7%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.5%Highest MA: 62.5%	58.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1958Highest 6 yrs older than MA	1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 5% below MA	31 minHighest 5% above MA
Work from home	12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	13.3%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6%
	Gardner and Wareham 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	#272 of 282 in MA	#273 of 282 in MA
School district	Wareham	Gardner
High school in town	Wareham Senior High	Gardner High
Students per teacherat that high school	8.6Lowest	13.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.