Compare towns
Wareham vs Meredith vs Bourne vs Rochester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wareham has the most affordable homes ($425k median).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Bourne has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Rochester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.3%).
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 | Wareham | Meredith | Bourne | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 23,302Highest |
6,758 |
20,323 |
5,837Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52.1±3.1 34% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
52±1.8 34% above U.S. |
46.5±6Lowest 20% 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 | 13.1%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Rochester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.2%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.8%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $90,383±$11k 12% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$91,058±$7k 13% above U.S. |
$120,273±$12kHighest 49% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $424,500±$21kLowest 28% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
$575,600±$28k 73% above U.S. |
$599,100±$31kHighest 80% above U.S. |
| Rochester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,504±$180Highest 6% above U.S. |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,379±$300 about the U.S. average |
$1,432±$743 about the U.S. average |
| Wareham and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,341Lowest 39% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
$4,485 44% above U.S. |
$6,530Highest 109% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±23.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.1%±10.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 4% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.4%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.9%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #272 of 282 in MA | #62 of 120 in NH | #206 of 282 in MA | #104 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Wareham | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester |
| High school in town | Wareham Senior High | Inter-Lakes High School | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
11.1Highest |
9.8 |
9.1 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.