Barnstable County, MA

County

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2024 Population

231,668

US Senator

Elizabeth Warren

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ed Markey

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

55.4

0.544% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

7.67%

3.2% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$95,241

0.835% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$629,000

9.22% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

112,042

1.08% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Barnstable County, MA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.5% of the residents in Barnstable County, MA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Barnstable County, MA are Cape Cod Community College (513 degrees awarded in 2024), Massachusetts Maritime Academy (351 degrees), and Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School (55 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Barnstable County, MA was $629,000, and the homeownership rate was 81.1%.

Most people in Barnstable County, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Barnstable County, MA was 2 cars per household.

Barnstable County, MA borders Bristol County, MA, Dukes County, MA, and Plymouth County, MA.

Photo by Liza

United States Massachusetts Barnstable Town, MA

Population & Diversity

Barnstable County, MA is home to a population of 232k people, from which 95.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.96% of Barnstable County, MA residents were born outside of the country (23.1k people).

In 2024, there were 30.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (197k people) in Barnstable County, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.44k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 6.09k Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.5%

2024 Citizenship

95.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.5% of Barnstable County, MA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Barnstable County, MA was 95.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Barnstable County, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Barnstable County, MA

White (Non-Hispanic)
197k ± 1.68k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
6.44k ± 740
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
6.09k ± 1.25k

3.7%

Hispanic Population

8.56k people

3.7% of the people in Barnstable County, MA are hispanic (8.56k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Barnstable County, MA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

Most Common Origin

Brazil
108,593 ± 8,028 people
Dominican Republic
106,391 ± 7,947 people
China
103,416 ± 7,837 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Massachusetts was Brazil, the natal country of 108,593 Massachusetts residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 106,391 and China with 103,416.

Foreign-Born Population

9.96%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

23.1k people

9.66%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

22.2k people

As of 2024, 9.96% of Barnstable County, MA residents (23.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Barnstable County, MA was 9.66%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Barnstable County, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
5,960 ± 484
Gulf War (2001-)
1,830 ± 347
Gulf War (1990s)
1,404 ± 350

Barnstable County, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.26 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Barnstable County, MA.

Health

97.3% of the population of Barnstable County, MA has health coverage, with 39.7% on employee plans, 13.4% on Medicaid, 23.6% on Medicare, 19.5% on non-group plans, and 1.18% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Barnstable County, MA see 1,112 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,112 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1033 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 183 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,112 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Barnstable County, MA

Primary care physicians in Barnstable County, MA see an average of 1,112 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,112 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Barnstable County, MA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 15.3% under 18 years, 14.5% between 18 and 34 years, 37.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 32.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

2.66%

Uninsured

39.7%

Employer Coverage

13.4%

Medicaid

23.6%

Medicare

19.5%

Non-Group

1.18%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Barnstable County, MA declined by 6.6% from 2.85% to 2.66%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Barnstable County, MA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.26 in Barnstable County, MA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Barnstable County, MA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 26.5% in Barnstable County, MA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Barnstable County, MA.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 2.98% in Barnstable County, MA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Barnstable County, MA.

Economy

The economy of Barnstable County, MA employs 112k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Barnstable County, MA were Health Care & Social Assistance (18,125 people), Retail Trade (13,194 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (11,103 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($114,679), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($95,061), and Utilities ($92,446).

Employment

Occupations

112k

2024 Value

± 2,790

−1.08%

1 Year decline

± 3.58%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Barnstable County, MA declined at a rate of −1.08%, from 113k employees to 112k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Barnstable County, MA, are Management Occupations (15,448 people), Sales & Related Occupations (11,085 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,017 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Barnstable County, MA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Massachusetts (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

112k

2024 Value

± 2,790

−1.08%

1 Year decline

± 3.58%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Barnstable County, MA declined at a rate of −1.08%, from 113k employees to 112k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Barnstable County, MA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (18,125 people), Retail Trade (13,194 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (11,103 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Barnstable County, MA, though some of these residents may live in Barnstable County, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$65,278

Median earning men ± $2,545

$49,053

Median earning women ± $1,639

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($108,828), Public Administration ($102,145), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($94,710).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($81,172), Public Administration ($69,906), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,076).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Y-Axis

2.61%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.67M people employed in Massachusetts. This represents a 2.61% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 17.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Massachusetts.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,113
Construction
755
Retail Trade
567
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$942k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$641k
Retail Trade
$543k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing the state of Massachusetts. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Barnstable County, MA. Showing the available data for Massachusetts.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (61.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (36%)
Republican Party
Other (1.48%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Massachusetts for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Massachusetts

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Warren

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ed Markey

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on July 16, 2013
Elected to the seat to succeed Mo Cowan, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of John Kerry, who had become Secretary of State.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/us/massachusetts-special-senate-election.html |title=Democrat Wins Special Election for Kerry's Senate Seat |work=The New York Times |date=June 25, 2013 |access-date=May 21, 2020 |last1=Seelye |first1=Katharine Q. }}

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing Massachusetts.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Massachusetts over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Barnstable County, MA awarded 919 degrees. The student population of Barnstable County, MA in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 2,415 male students and 2,403 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Barnstable County, MA are White (656 and 71.9%), Hispanic or Latino (77 and 8.43%), Black or African American (67 and 7.34%), and Unknown (44 and 4.82%).

The largest universities in Barnstable County, MA by number of degrees awarded are Cape Cod Community College (513 and 55.8%), Massachusetts Maritime Academy (351 and 38.2%), and Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School (55 and 5.98%).

The most popular majors in Barnstable County, MA are Registered Nursing (95 and 10.3%), Other Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting, & Related Protective Services (71 and 7.73%), and Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering (69 and 7.51%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $2,116 for in-state students and $14,418 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Barnstable County, MA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 94.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 38.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 4,818 (50.1% men and 49.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 4,818 students enrolled in Barnstable County, MA, 50.1% men and 49.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,277 records, of which 45.3% were women and 54.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
95 degrees awarded
General Studies
59 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
35 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Barnstable County, MA was Registered Nursing with 95 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Barnstable County, MA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Cape Cod Community College
513 degrees awarded
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
351 degrees awarded
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School
55 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Cape Cod Community College with 513 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 496 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Barnstable County, MA, which is 1.17 times more than the 423 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 656 degrees mean that there were 8.52 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 77 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($2,116) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($9,304) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Barnstable County, MA was $629,000 in 2024, which is 1.89 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $575,900 to $629,000, a 9.22% increase. The homeownership rate in Barnstable County, MA is 81.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Barnstable County, MA have an average commute time of 24.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Barnstable County, MA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Barnstable County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.93%.

Housing

Property

$629,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,027

$85,753

Median Property Taxes

±$2,034

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Barnstable County, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Barnstable County, MA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

81.1%

Homeownership

2024

63.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 81.1% of the housing units in Barnstable County, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 80.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Barnstable County, MA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$95,241

Median Household Income

± $2,510

106k

Number of Households

± 2,693

In 2024, the median household income of the 106k households in Barnstable County, MA grew to $95,241 from the previous year's value of $94,452.

The following chart displays the households in Barnstable County, MA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Barnstable County, MA is from Massachusetts.

0.477

2024 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

0.478

2023 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

In 2024, the income inequality in Massachusetts was 0.477 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.306% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Massachusetts was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Massachusetts in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Massachusetts across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.1%)
Worked At Home (16%)
Carpooled (6.97%)

In 2024, 72.1% of workers in Barnstable County, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16%) and those who carpooled to work (6.97%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Barnstable County, MA have a shorter commute time (24.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.45% of the workforce in Barnstable County, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Barnstable County, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Barnstable County, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Barnstable County, MA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Barnstable County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.93%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

7.67% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Barnstable County, MA (17.6k out of 229k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Barnstable County, MA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 11.5% of the children was living in poverty in Barnstable County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 400 in Barnstable County, MA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 68.2% per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.