The Town FilesWareham, Massachusetts
Town in Plymouth County · population 23,303 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $424,500
- Household income
- $90,383
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 37 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 52.1
Wareham is a town of 23,303 people in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $424,500, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks more seaside character than 82% of Massachusetts towns, better for first-time buyers than 78% of Massachusetts towns, better for a vacation home than 76% of Massachusetts towns.
How Wareham ranks
Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Wareham is worth $424,500, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 4.7 times the median household income of $90,383, which is more affordable than 46% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $1,504 a month. 83.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Wareham | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $424,500 | $510,150 |
| Median rent | $1,504 | $1,561 |
| Median household income | $90,383 | $108,622 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.7× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 83.5% | 80.7% |
| Median year built | 1958 | 1968 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 15.7% | — |
Who lives in Wareham
| People | Wareham | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.1 | 44.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.2% | 20.7% |
| Under 18 | 13.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.1% | 45.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 6.3% |
| Veterans | 8.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.9% | — |
| Work from home | 12.4% | 17.7% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 30.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.8% | 93.9% |
Weather in Wareham
July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 21.7°F. About 51.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 37.2 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 116 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wareham since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on August 8, 2023 about 8.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 8, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 8 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 3, 1997.
Severe weather in Plymouth County since 1996
Plymouth County has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3599: Hurricane Lee |
| April 18, 2022 | Snowstorm | DR-4651: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| March 27, 2020 | Biological | DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3438: Covid-19 |
| June 25, 2018 | Severe Storm | DR-4372: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Plymouth County
Plymouth County had 194,985 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,858 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Wareham itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.
Public schools in Wareham
4 public schools with 1,950 students, about 11.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wareham Elementary School | PK-4 | 933 | 12.6 |
| Wareham Senior High | 8-12 | 583 | 9.3 |
| Wareham Middle | 5-7 | 404 | 10.6 |
| Wareham Cooperative Alternative School | 9-12 | 30 | 15.0 |
Towns near Wareham
- Wareham Center, MA1.3 mi · 2,972 people · home $425,700
- Buzzards Bay, MA4.4 mi · 4,279 people · home $454,500
- Marion, MA4.5 mi · 5,347 people · home $653,500
- Pocasset, MA5.8 mi · 2,843 people · home $709,900
- Monument Beach, MA6.0 mi · 2,784 people · home $559,900
- Bourne, MA6.4 mi · 20,452 people · home $575,600
- Rochester, MA7.1 mi · 5,717 people · home $599,100
- Mattapoisett Center, MA7.9 mi · 3,190 people · home $651,900
Wareham questions
Is Wareham, Massachusetts a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wareham scores better for retirees than 33% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 63%. 26.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.1).
How much does a house cost in Wareham?
The median owner-occupied home in Wareham is valued at $424,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $90,383, so homes cost about 4.7 times income. Median rent is $1,504 a month.
What is the weather like in Wareham?
July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 21.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 51.1 inches of precipitation a year and 37.2 inches of snow.
Does Wareham get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wareham since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on August 8, 2023. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)