Compare towns
Wareham vs Whately vs Bourne vs Fairhaven
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).
Whately has the most people working from home (20.4%).
Bourne has the most expensive homes ($576k median).
Fairhaven has the most kids (16.9% 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.
| Measure | Wareham | Whately | Bourne | Fairhaven |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 23,302Highest |
1,499Lowest |
20,323 |
15,903 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% MA: +7.4% |
+7.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.5% MA: +7.4% |
+0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
49.3±6.7 23% above MA |
52±1.8 30% above MA |
48.5±3.4Lowest 21% above MA |
| 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 MA: 19.4% |
16.4%±3.8 MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
16.9%±2.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Fairhaven and Whately 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% |
24.5%±6.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.8%±3.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
24.9%±2.9 MA: 17.9% |
| 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 MA: 47.3% |
47.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
46% MA: 47.3% |
32.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
2.5%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.3%±1 MA: 7.9% |
| 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 13% below MA |
$116,563±$15kHighest 12% above MA |
$91,058±$7k 12% below MA |
$95,965±$19k 8% below MA |
| Whately and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
$431,500±$22k 23% below MA |
$575,600±$28kHighest about the MA average |
$446,700±$19k 21% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
$977±$125Lowest 45% below MA |
$1,379±$300 22% below MA |
$1,118±$79 37% below MA |
| Wareham and Bourne 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 |
$5,027Highest 16% below MA |
$4,485 25% below MA |
$3,566Lowest 40% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
26.7%±29Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.8%±5.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.1%±14 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% |
8.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5% MA: 62.5% |
88.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.8% MA: 62.5% |
74.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1974 10 yrs newer than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% below MA |
23 minLowest 21% below MA |
26 min 11% below MA |
29 minHighest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
20.4%±8.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
11.4%±3.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Whately 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 | — | #206 of 282 in MA | #126 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Wareham | Whately | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Fairhaven |
| High school in town | Wareham Senior High | None in town | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Fairhaven High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
— | 9.8 |
11.4Highest |
| 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.