Orleans is home to 1,480 people in Massachusetts. At a median age of 64.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 51% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. 2% of locals were born outside the United States. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $582,000. That trails the Massachusetts median by roughly 25%.
At a glance
Average income
median household income $78,359, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 64.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
51% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 88%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Orleans
What changed most since 1990
Median age47.5 → 64.0(+16.5 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Homes owned by their occupants54.0% → 67.0%(+13.1 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree25.2% → 51.0%(+25.8 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)50%(14)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)28.6%(8)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era14.3%(4)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 28 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Orleans, decade by decade
Orleans population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
1,711
$50,202
$417,372
25.2%
1.9
2000
1,716
$55,083
$309,864
33.6%
10.2
2010
1,621
$54,917
$606,070
39.6%
13.1
2020
1,767
$69,300
$520,207
45.5%
23.0
2024
1,480
$78,359
$582,000
51.0%
4.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
