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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Barnstable County

Massachusetts · 228,996 residents · 394 sq mi
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The short version

Barnstable County is a county of 228,996 people in Massachusetts. The median age is 55.0, about 16 years above the US median. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. This is an unusually credentialed place: 45% of adults have a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $414,000, having more than doubled since 2000. Poverty is uncommon here, at 6.7% of people here.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 55.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
45% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
228,996
+3%since 2000
from 222,230 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
55.0
+23%since 2000
from 44.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
394 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
182K196K209K223K236K19902000201020202024Barnstable County
2024232K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 53.3%(7,470)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.7%(8,519)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 144.4%(10,164)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 194.7%(10,782)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.4%(10,159)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 349%(20,634)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 449.1%(20,890)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.3%(25,830)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6417.8%(40,795)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7418%(41,319)
US avg: 10%
75 to 849.9%(22,757)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over4.2%(9,677)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$76,863
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,933 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$47,315
+87%since 2000
from $25,318 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
51.3%
+12.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
6.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 6.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.8%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade10.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Retail trade4.2%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$414,000
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $178,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,362
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $723 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
77.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 77.8% in 2000
22.4% rent
Persons per household
2.20 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.24 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
5.4
−19%since 2009
from 6.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic85%(194,561)
Black2.8%(6,409)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(7,908)
Asian1.4%(3,183)
Other4.2%(9,677)
Segregation Score
31
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
Puerto Rican0.8%(1,726)
South American0.8%(1,647)
Mexican0.6%(1,239)
Ecuadorian0.6%(1,218)
Dominican0.2%(437)
Spaniard0.1%(300)
Cuban0.1%(264)
Colombian0.1%(191)
Salvadoran0.1%(143)
Guatemalan0.1%(128)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0%(73)
Argentine0%(53)
Honduran0%(49)
Chilean0%(31)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(778)
Asian Indian0.3%(745)
Filipino0.2%(475)
Pakistani0.1%(194)
Vietnamese0.1%(175)
Japanese0.1%(158)
Korean0.1%(151)
Bangladeshi0.1%(114)
Thai0%(77)
Cambodian0%(47)
Taiwanese0%(18)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0%(99)
Chamorro0%(23)
Ancestry
Irish26.7%(57,036)
English16.2%(34,675)
Italian11%(23,481)
German8.3%(17,646)
French5%(10,721)
Portuguese4.4%(9,365)
American4.2%(8,928)
Scottish3.8%(8,171)
Polish3.8%(8,155)
French Canadian3.2%(6,869)
Swedish2.7%(5,777)
Brazilian1.9%(4,045)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian1.6%(3,368)
Cape Verdean1.4%(2,984)
Russian1.3%(2,681)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(2,449)
Jamaican1%(2,241)
Norwegian1%(2,237)
Lithuanian1%(2,115)
British1%(2,098)
Dutch0.9%(1,944)
Greek0.8%(1,785)
Finnish0.7%(1,412)
Canadian0.6%(1,301)
Welsh0.6%(1,193)
Danish0.4%(848)
Lebanese0.4%(840)
Hungarian0.3%(742)
Haitian0.3%(702)
Serbian0.3%(681)
Austrian0.3%(668)
Armenian0.3%(595)
Ukrainian0.3%(539)
Swiss0.2%(519)
Czech0.2%(474)
Bulgarian0.2%(338)
Slovak0.1%(280)
Australian0.1%(273)
Latvian0.1%(264)
Croatian0.1%(244)
Romanian0.1%(217)
Belgian0.1%(195)
Syrian0%(98)
Turkish0%(95)
Iranian0%(73)
Egyptian0%(72)
Moroccan0%(60)
Barbadian0%(39)
Slovene0%(30)
Guyanese0%(27)
Jordanian0%(23)
Arab0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
45.0%
+11.4 ptssince 2000
from 33.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
95.8%
+4.0 ptssince 2000
from 91.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
20.1%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 13.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.2 min
+48%since 2000
from 17.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
77.9%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.1%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 7.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
59.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2011
from 60.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
40.6%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 36.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
Female
52.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
Foreign born
8.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
3.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2013
from 5.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
90.4%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2013
from 5.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
55.4%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
21.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
31.1%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
20.1%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
73.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
48.0%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)8.6%(1,368)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)11.3%(1,794)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era42.5%(6,775)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War15.9%(2,539)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II7.1%(1,132)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 15,942 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
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Head to head

Compare Barnstable County to nearby counties

BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
Nantucket County
Income$139,688+82%
Home value$1,593,800+285%
Population14,758−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
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Home value$556,000+34%
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BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
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Income$125,786+64%
Home value$1,165,800+182%
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BARNSTABLE COUNTY VS
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Income$85,625+11%
Home value$451,200+9%
Population593,640+154%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?

Barnstable County, Massachusetts has about 228,996 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Barnstable County, Massachusetts earns about $76,863 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 $414,000, and the typical rent is about $1,362 a month.

How educated are people in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?

About 45.0% 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 6.7% 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 42,391 residents, a change of about 23 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →