Compare towns
Wareham vs Wakefield vs Westport
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).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
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 | Wakefield | Westport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 23,302 |
27,793Highest |
16,484Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% MA: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
50.7±1.8 27% above MA |
| Wareham and Westport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.5%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Wakefield and Westport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.2%±2.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Westport 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% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
29.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Westport 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 13% below MA |
$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA |
$96,000±$9k 8% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
$723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA |
$521,900±$38k 7% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,504±$180 15% below MA |
$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
$1,425±$356Lowest 19% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,341 28% below MA |
$7,779Highest 30% above MA |
$3,719Lowest 38% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±19.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Westport 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 MA: 10% |
4.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
82.9% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1972Highest 8 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 5% below MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
29 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
9.2%±2.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #272 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA | #195 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Wareham | — | Westport |
| High school in town | Wareham Senior High | — | Westport Middle-High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
— | 11.5Highest |
| 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.