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COUNTY

Barnstable County

Massachusetts · 233,539 residents (2025 est.) · 394.2 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#51Oldest by median ageof 3,14455.4#71Most expensive homesof 3,139$629,000#123Most educatedof 3,14448.2%#151Highest median rentof 3,137$1,678
The short version

Barnstable County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $95,241. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $629,000. With a median age of 55.4, the population is older than the US median of 38.9. It ranks in the top 5% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 55.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 94%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
231,668
+4%since 2000
from 222,230 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
588 / sq mi
+4%since 2009
from 565 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
55.4
+24%since 2000
from 44.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:233,539 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
182K196K209K223K236K1990201020202024Barnstable County
2024232K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.4%(7,855)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.9%(9,004)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144%(9,227)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.6%(10,647)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.8%(11,203)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.1%(20,988)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 449.3%(21,452)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.3%(23,911)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6417.5%(40,626)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7419%(44,028)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 8410%(23,265)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over4.1%(9,462)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$95,241
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,933 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$62,086
+145%since 2000
from $25,318 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
60.5%
+21.5 ptssince 2009
from 39.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
7.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 6.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.479
+8%since 2010
from 0.443 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade4.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration4.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$629,000
+94%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $178,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,678
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $723 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
81.1%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 77.8% in 2000
18.9% rent
Vacancy rate
36.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 37.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
29.2%
−9.0 ptssince 2009
from 38.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.7%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.6
−1%since 2009
from 6.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
58
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Barnstable County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic93.4%(207,518)
Black1.7%(3,848)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(3,000)
Asian0.6%(1,363)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic85.2%(197,297)
Black2.8%(6,441)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(8,561)
Asian1.5%(3,402)
Other6.9%(15,967)
Diversity Score
33
+101%since 2009
from 17 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
36
+16%since 2020
from 31 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
South American1.2%(2,778)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,549)
Mexican0.6%(1,428)
Colombian0.3%(640)
Dominican0.3%(624)
Ecuadorian0.2%(532)
Venezuelan0.2%(369)
Argentine0.1%(295)
Peruvian0.1%(268)
Salvadoran0.1%(266)
Spaniard0.1%(234)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(215)
Guatemalan0.1%(155)
Cuban0%(115)
Honduran0%(72)
Uruguayan0%(67)
Bolivian0%(35)
Asian origin
Chinese0.5%(1,063)
Nepalese0.2%(399)
Thai0.1%(290)
Filipino0.1%(236)
Taiwanese0.1%(192)
Pakistani0.1%(182)
Asian Indian0.1%(177)
Japanese0.1%(162)
Bangladeshi0.1%(132)
Vietnamese0.1%(122)
Korean0.1%(116)
Cambodian0%(99)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(50)
Ancestry
Irish25.2%(58,418)
English16.7%(38,671)
Italian11.2%(25,882)
German8.1%(18,686)
French4.2%(9,643)
American3.8%(8,759)
Portuguese3.6%(8,271)
Scottish3.4%(7,929)
Polish3.2%(7,380)
French Canadian2.6%(6,009)
Brazilian2.6%(5,983)
Swedish2.4%(5,596)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian1.8%(4,107)
Jamaican1.4%(3,146)
Russian1.1%(2,450)
Greek0.9%(2,029)
Lithuanian0.8%(1,966)
Norwegian0.8%(1,931)
Dutch0.7%(1,625)
Cape Verdean0.7%(1,551)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(1,543)
Canadian0.5%(1,269)
Arab0.5%(1,186)
Finnish0.5%(1,169)
Welsh0.4%(969)
British0.4%(941)
Hungarian0.4%(857)
Lebanese0.4%(820)
Haitian0.3%(807)
Serbian0.3%(794)
Ukrainian0.3%(780)
Danish0.3%(710)
Armenian0.2%(577)
Czech0.2%(459)
Austrian0.2%(430)
Swiss0.2%(377)
Croatian0.1%(280)
Australian0.1%(233)
Turkish0.1%(232)
Romanian0.1%(207)
Slovak0.1%(206)
Belgian0.1%(139)
Syrian0.1%(138)
Bulgarian0.1%(134)
Latvian0%(98)
Moroccan0%(83)
Slovene0%(74)
Ethiopian0%(67)
Nigerian0%(52)
Egyptian0%(50)
Iranian0%(25)
Jordanian0%(15)
Barbadian0%(12)
Israeli0%(11)
Kenyan0%(8)
RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Italian population · Largest German population · Largest French population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.2%
+14.6 ptssince 2000
from 33.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.2%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 91.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
22.4%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.8 min
+45%since 2000
from 17.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.1%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.0%
+10.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 7.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
58.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 60.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
14.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
45.7%
−19.7 ptssince 2009
from 65.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.1%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
Female
51.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
Foreign born
9.9%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.1%
−39.2 ptssince 2009
from 46.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.8%
+2.6 ptssince 2012
from 12.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.7%
−92.2 ptssince 2013
from 94.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.3%
+10.8 ptssince 2017
from 83.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
89.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2016
from 92.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 1.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.9%(27,421)
Married58.9%(57,825)
Widowed3.9%(3,864)
Divorced9.3%(9,108)
Women 15+
Never married23.2%(24,872)
Married51.2%(54,950)
Widowed11.1%(11,969)
Divorced14.5%(15,573)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Pop 238,552
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Pop 224,410
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Pop 211,115
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Pop 239,593
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Head to head

Compare Barnstable County to nearby counties

BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
Nantucket County
Income$139,688+47%
Home value$1,593,800+153%
Population14,758−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
Plymouth County
Income$114,201+20%
Home value$556,000−12%
Population546,829+134%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
Dukes County
Income$125,786+32%
Home value$1,165,800+85%
Population21,219−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
Bristol County
Income$85,625−10%
Home value$451,200−28%
Population593,640+154%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?

Barnstable County, Massachusetts has about 231,668 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Barnstable County, Massachusetts earns about $95,241 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Barnstable County, Massachusetts expensive?

In Barnstable County, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $629,000, and the typical rent is about $1,678 a month.

How educated are people in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?

About 48.2% of adults age 25 and over in Barnstable County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?

About 7.7% of people in Barnstable County, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Barnstable County, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Barnstable County, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 45,063 residents, a change of about 24 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

57 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 144.02Census Tract 135Census Tract 120.01Census Tract 131Census Tract 136Census Tract 145Census Tract 109Census Tract 121.01Census Tract 122Census Tract 132Census Tract 138Census Tract 126.02Census Tract 139Census Tract 111Census Tract 127Census Tract 118.02Census Tract 108Census Tract 150.01Census Tract 140.02Census Tract 129
47 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 02536ZIP 02601ZIP 02649ZIP 02532ZIP 02632ZIP 02645ZIP 02563ZIP 02631ZIP 02664ZIP 02673ZIP 02540ZIP 02648ZIP 02675ZIP 02653ZIP 02537ZIP 02660ZIP 02642ZIP 02633ZIP 02655ZIP 02667ZIP 02639ZIP 02657ZIP 02644ZIP 02635ZIP 02562ZIP 02638ZIP 02556ZIP 02668ZIP 02559ZIP 02630
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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