Compare towns
Wareham vs Rochester vs Bourne vs Buzzards Bay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wareham has the most affordable homes ($425k median).
Rochester has the most kids (20.1% under 18).
Bourne has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Buzzards Bay has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
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 | Rochester | Bourne | Buzzards Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 23,302Highest |
5,837 |
20,323 |
2,909Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% MA: +7.4% |
+9.3% MA: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52.1±3.1 30% above MA |
46.5±6Lowest 16% above MA |
52±1.8 30% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
| Buzzards Bay 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 MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| 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 MA: 17.9% |
20.1%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest 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+ | 27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
43.5% MA: 47.3% |
46%Highest MA: 47.3% |
29.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest 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 | $90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
$120,273±$12kHighest 16% above MA |
$91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$94,388±$12k 9% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
$599,100±$31kHighest 7% above MA |
$575,600±$28k about the MA average |
$454,500±$28k 19% below MA |
| 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 15% below MA |
$1,432±$743 19% below MA |
$1,379±$300Lowest 22% below MA |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
| Wareham and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,341 28% below MA |
$6,530Highest 9% above MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
39.1%±10.2 MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| 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% MA: 10% |
5.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.2% MA: 10% |
7.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5% MA: 62.5% |
88.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.8% MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% below MA |
37 minHighest 25% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 min 10% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3Highest 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 | #272 of 282 in MA | #104 of 282 in MA | #206 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Wareham | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | — |
| High school in town | Wareham Senior High | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
9.1 |
9.8Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.