Barnstable County, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Barnstable County, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above average
-
B
Income Around average
-
A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Barnstable County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 231,272 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 177.2 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.88% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 55.6 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 105,583 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Barnstable County grew by 2.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 231,272 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Barnstable County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 29.6% of residents. That is 12.3 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,093 15.2% -6.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 35,049 15.2% -6.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 51,470 22.3% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 68,345 29.6% +12.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.2% of the people living in Barnstable County and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 47.8% Massachusetts 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Barnstable County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Barnstable County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Barnstable County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,861 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.84% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Barnstable County is about 8% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Barnstable County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $446,620 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,678 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.1% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Barnstable County is about 22.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,678 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Barnstable County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Barnstable County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.5 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,849 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.0% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,040 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,561 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Massachusetts:
Nantucket County (12.8 min), Dukes County (15.4 min), Berkshire County (16.8 min).
Slowest:
Norfolk County (31.0 min), Suffolk County (30.4 min), Middlesex County (28.4 min).
The average commute time in Barnstable County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Barnstable County has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Barnstable County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.7% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.5), Norfolk County (0.4), Nantucket County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.3), Bristol County (0.3), Berkshire County (0.3).
Health
Barnstable County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Barnstable County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.2% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.8), Hampshire County (0.8), Norfolk County (0.8).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.8), Bristol County (0.8), Worcester County (0.8).
Barnstable County, MA Compared With Nearby Counties
Barnstable County, MA is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 231,272 residents against a local median of 558,345. Where Barnstable County, MA breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 27% below the local median of 25.6 min at 18.8 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $446,620 against a local median of $608,703, 27% below it. The counties themselves spread 15.1 min on commute, so Barnstable County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Barnstable County, MA has the 2nd lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County, MA | 231,272 | $95,861 #3/5 | $446,620 #4/5 | 18.8 min #2/5 |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | $114,939 | $463,963 | 28.0 min |
| Dukes County, MA | 20,933 | $126,345 | $1,481,817 | 15.4 min |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | $85,695 | $367,046 | 23.2 min |
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | $95,719 | $753,442 | 30.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Barnstable County, Massachusetts.
What is the population of Barnstable County, Massachusetts?
About 231,272 people live in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in 105,583 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 55.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 18 years.
Is Barnstable County, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Barnstable County, Massachusetts has 177 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($446,620 against $95,861), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,678 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?
43.7% of adults in Barnstable County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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