Compare towns
Wareham vs Sutton 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1958).
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($363k median).
Bourne has the most renters (24.2% rent).
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 | Sutton | Bourne | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 23,302Highest |
2,239Lowest |
20,323 |
5,837 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52.1±3.1Highest 34% above U.S. |
48.1±4.1 24% above U.S. |
52±1.8 34% above U.S. |
46.5±6Lowest 20% above U.S. |
| Wareham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 13.1%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±4.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Sutton and Rochester 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% |
21.6%±5.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.8%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bourne and Wareham 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% |
44.3% 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% |
4.9%±3.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±1.5Lowest 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±$11kLowest 12% above U.S. |
$130,313±$31kHighest 61% above U.S. |
$91,058±$7k 13% above U.S. |
$120,273±$12k 49% above U.S. |
| Sutton and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $424,500±$21k 28% above U.S. |
$362,600±$16kLowest 9% 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±$180 6% above U.S. |
$1,656±$614Highest 17% above U.S. |
$1,379±$300Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,432±$743 about the U.S. average |
| Sutton and Wareham 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. |
$7,652Highest 145% above U.S. |
$4,485 44% above U.S. |
$6,530 109% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±23.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.1%±10.2 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%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 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. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.4%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.9%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bourne and Sutton 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 | — | #206 of 282 in MA | #104 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Wareham | Kearsarge Regional School District | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester |
| High school in town | Wareham Senior High | Kearsarge Regional High School | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
10.4Highest |
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.