Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The weak point is cost of living (D): the typical home is worth about $713K, 7.5 years of the Barnstable Town metro’s $95K median household income. With a C overall, Barnstable Town sits 244th of 282 in Massachusetts. On that grade it does better than 27% of U.S. towns. Its standout strength is health (A−) — it is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Kennedy Compound and Old King's Highway Historic District. Two fifths of working residents work locally here, above both Massachusetts’ towns (9.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). The city is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 82 places on the National Register.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · Census LEHD, 2023.
Where Barnstable Town beats most towns.
Kennedy Compound
Kennedy Compound is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 82 National Register listings are more than in 95% of Massachusetts towns with a listing.
Census counts: 2,610 in 1790, 48,916 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1653 and 6 maps from 1888 on.
Barnstable Town takes its name from Barnstaple in Devon, England, 3,120 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionBarnstable Town, settled in 1637, takes its name from Barnstaple, a large town in Devon, England.
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Barnstable Town is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Barnstable Town. Close and well known come first.
21 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
24 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
26 mi LandmarkNational Monument to the Forefathers
20 mi National SeashoreCape Cod National Seashore3.7M visitors a year
28 mi LandmarkPilgrim Monument
25 mi Theme parkEdaville RailroadSS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Monument to the Forefathers: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Cape Cod National Seashore: SeduisantRedux, CC BY 3.0 · Pilgrim Monument: Peter Whitlock (Transferred by adavyd/Originally uploaded by Willster3), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edaville Railroad: Dan Crow, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barnstable Town, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Barnstable Town.
Barnstable Town has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, is safe by national standards but not by Massachusetts’s and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts.
Sandy Neck, at 2,119 acres with 13.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Trails total 202 miles in 71 parks and preserves. The trail density for Barnstable Town comes to 2.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Barnstable Conservation Area | 33.6 mi | 1,097 |
| 2. Hyannis Ponds Wildlife Management Area | 14 mi | 362 |
| 3. Sandy Neck | 13.6 mi | 2,119 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 3 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Sandwich highest at B+.
Three of its 16 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The Barnstable school district runs its public schools. 6 public schools serve Barnstable Town, with 2,236 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable United Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 4–5 | Grades 4–5 | 714 | C |
| Barnstable HighLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 1,652 | C+ |
| Sturgis Charter Public SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 825 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 72% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
Barnstable Town: 33% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Among adults in the town, 15% binge drink and 36% have high blood pressure.
| Barnstable Town | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 82% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 28% | 35% |
| What stands out | Barnstable Town | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 74.2% | 68.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 75.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The midpoint age in Barnstable Town is 49.1 years. People 65 and older are 27% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (24% statewide). 50,101 people lived in Barnstable Town by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 2.5% more than in 2020. 17% of residents are under 18 here.
| Barnstable Town | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 49.1 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 47% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.1 points). Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 50.1, men 47.9.
| Barnstable Town | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.2% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.4% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.8% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.8% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.2% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Hyannis weather station records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
For Barnstable Town, the midsummer high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 24.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 86% of Massachusetts’s graded towns. Each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Yarmouth (B−) to Sandwich (A−).
Barnstable Town’s rate of reported violence is 4 per 1,000 residents. In Barnstable Town, the property offense rate is 7.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Barnstable Town | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The top destinations are Yarmouth (6%), Boston (5%) and Falmouth (4%). Barnstable Town had 23,629 jobs in 2023, up 2,258 from 2013. For half of commuters, work is under 9 miles away.
| Barnstable Town | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 40% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
64.6% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.8% across Massachusetts.
A home in Barnstable Town typically sold within 34 days of listing. The typical home value in the town is about $713,000, up 1.9% in a year, 9% above the Massachusetts typical home. Its typical rent comes in at $1,917 a month.
| Barnstable Town | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,917 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Flood insurance has paid out on 197 claims in Barnstable Town since 1978. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Barnstable Town break down as 51% from inland flooding and 22% from hurricanes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Barnstable Town
About 6 of every 100 Barnstable Town residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Coastal flooding makes up 19% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
19.4% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, so the town is fuller in summer than its census count suggests.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
82 places in Barnstable Town on the National Register of Historic Places.
21 notable people were born in Barnstable Town.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Barnstable ( BARN-stə-bəl) is a town on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod, and is one of thirteen Massachusetts municipalities that have been granted city forms of government by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts but wish to retain "the town of" in their official names. At the 2020 census it had a population of 48,916. The town contains several villages (one of which is also named Barnstable) within its boundaries. Its largest village, Hyannis, is the central business district of the Cape, and home to Barnstable Municipal Airport, the airline hub of Cape Cod and the islands of…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Barnstable Town.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; Yarmouth (C) is closest.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town | #244 | C | D | C+ | C− | A− |
| Mashpee | #191 | B− | D | B+ | B− | A− |
| Yarmouth | #241 | C | D | B− | C | A− |
| West Yarmouth | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Popponesset Island | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yarmouth Port | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mashpee Neck | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sandwich | #100 | A− | D | A− | B+ | A |
West Yarmouth, Popponesset Island, Yarmouth Port and Mashpee Neck aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Barnstable Town with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Barnstable Town grades C overall, better than 27% of U.S. towns and #244 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A− for health, C+ for safety and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Barnstable Town sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
21 notable people were born here, including Mercy Otis Warren and James Otis.
