Buzzards Bay railroad bridge 1907 postcard, c. 1907
Buzzards Bay’s story
405 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 7 maps from 1886 on.
- 1621Buzzards Bay is settled
Buzzards BayMA
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,909
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$455K
Census ACS
Household income
$94K
median
Median age
54.4
years
Jobs based here
1,255
Balanced
Is Buzzards Bay a good place to live?
32% of residents are 65 or older in Buzzards Bay, above both Massachusetts’ towns (19%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 1 of the 284 Massachusetts towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Buzzards Bay. Buzzards Bay’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, close to Massachusetts’ towns (1.8) and above U.S. towns (0.4). We don’t grade Buzzards Bay yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Buzzards Bay stand out
Where Buzzards Bay beats most towns.
Nearby attractions
All 222 attractions →USS Massachusetts and 64 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buzzards Bay. Close and well known come first.
28 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
39 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
13 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
15 mi LandmarkNational Monument to the Forefathers
36 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
28 mi MuseumBattleship CoveSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), 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 · SS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain · Battleship Cove: Electroengie at English Wikipedia, Public domain
_underway_c1944.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Buzzards Bay: who provides what
Buzzards Bay is unincorporated, so Barnstable County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBuzzards Bay Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBarnstable CountyBarnstable County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBourne Town ClerkTown of Bourne; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code0253202532 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Buzzards Bay.
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Buzzards Bay
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCoastal flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Buzzards Bay is 81°F.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–41°
Spring39–56°
Summer62–79°
Fall47–63°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 0.9 jobs for every working resident, most of Buzzards Bay’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Buzzards Bay for work: only 6% work in town. Buzzards Bay’s average trip to work is 32 minutes. Jobs based in Buzzards Bay fell to 1,255 in 2023, 145 fewer than in 2013.
6%work in town
| Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.8% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Buzzards Bay6%
Bourne17%
Falmouth7%
Barnstable Town6%
Wareham6%
18 mi
median commute distance
1,255
jobs based in Buzzards Bay
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
Buzzards Bay stands out in Massachusetts and nationally, with more of its adults who binge drink
20% of adults binge drink in Buzzards Bay. Buzzards Bay beats the Massachusetts average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 17% of adults get no exercise outside work in Buzzards Bay.
| Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 28% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.3% | 9.3% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Buzzards Bay | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.3% | 9.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.4% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 84.2% | 89.7% |
Falmouth Hospital
13 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
8.5%conserved
8.5%
conserved · 160 of 1,881 acres
4.7 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buzzards Bay Park | 0.5 mi | 7 |
| 2. Taylors Point Park | — | 1 |
| 3. Bourne Pond Fishway | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
$559Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
12
days on market
104.4%
sale-to-list price
6
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buzzards Bay
17pages on Buzzards Bay
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Buzzards Bay
Massachusetts Maritime AcademyUniversity or college · Public · Buzzards Bay1.1 mi$11,420 in-state tuitionCape Cod Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · West Barnstable15 mi$6,000 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Buzzards Bay residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Massachusetts.
By the sea
Buzzards Bay lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 11% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
11%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
98thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
85thpercentile for hurricane risk
On the water
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
About Buzzards Bay
Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States
Buzzards Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Bourne in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, Buzzards Bay had a population of 4,279. It is the most populous of the five CDPs in Bourne.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- ZIP code
- 02532
Buzzards Bay’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Buzzards Bay.
BourneWarehamPlymouthBuzzards Bay
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzards Bay | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bourne | #222 | C+ | C− | B− | C | A |
| Wareham | #247 | C− | C+ | C+ | D | B |
| Plymouth | #180 | B | D | B− | B− | A− |
Buzzards Bay isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Buzzards Bay with a neighbor →
Questions about Buzzards Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buzzards Bay, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Buzzards Bay yet; the figures below are still real.