Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Eastham's standout: it has 28 miles of trail. Overall it grades C+, ranked 213th of 282 in Massachusetts. Residents are healthier than 81% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it is more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $808K for a typical one and 8.5 times the Barnstable Town metro’s $95K median household income. Eastham’s median age is 60.4 years, above both the Massachusetts town median (43.4 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Cape Cod National Seashore, at 4,371 acres with 15.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Eastham's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Where Eastham beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,834 in 1790, a low of 430 in 1920, 5,752 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1605 and 5 maps from 1887 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Eastham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Eastham. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
in town National SeashoreCape Cod National Seashore3.7M visitors a year
33 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
18 mi LandmarkPilgrim Monument
36 mi LandmarkNational Monument to the Forefathers
16 mi MuseumElephant HouseSS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain · Cape Cod National Seashore: SeduisantRedux, CC BY 3.0 · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pilgrim Monument: Peter Whitlock (Transferred by adavyd/Originally uploaded by Willster3), CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Monument to the Forefathers: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Elephant House: Nicole Leigh Martel, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Eastham, 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 Eastham.
Eastham has a longer frost-free season than almost anywhere else in Massachusetts and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Massachusetts; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Massachusetts.
Eastham: 13% of residents are under 18. College graduates make up 55% of adults 25 and older, against 47% across Massachusetts.
| Eastham | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 13% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 55% | 47% | 29% |
57% women, 43% men
About 75 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Eastham | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.4% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.1% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.7% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.8% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 20.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.5% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.6% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 26.9% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Nauset Regional High, with 737 students. Public schools: the Nauset school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastham ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 177 | B+ |
| Nauset Regional HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 737 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 64% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
8.1% of adults worry about having enough food in Eastham. Among 279 Massachusetts towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Eastham. This Massachusetts town does better than the Massachusetts average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 8.
| Eastham | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 87% | 82% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Eastham | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.9% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.9% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 1,933 working residents takes 18.5 minutes, against 29.1 across Massachusetts.
Half of commuters travel less than 17 miles. Since 2013, Eastham has added 97 jobs, to 1,045 in 2023. Only 16% of working residents stay in Eastham for work; the rest commute out. In Eastham, the average trip to work is 19 minutes.
| Eastham | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Eastham, the concentration of trails is 1.1 miles per square mile. 23 parks and preserves cover 4,750 acres locally.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cape Cod National Seashore | 15.2 mi | 4,371 |
| 2. Wiley Park | 1.3 mi | 47 |
| 3. Nickerson Property | 1 mi | 31 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected losses in Eastham break down as 39% from inland flooding and 30% from hurricanes. Compared with 71% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. Also worth knowing: the national flood insurance program has paid 64 claims here since 1978.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 8.5 years of the Barnstable Town metro’s $95K median household income, the typical home (about $808K) costs more against local pay than in 84% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
The typical Eastham home is worth about $808,000, up 1.4% in a year, 23% above the Massachusetts typical home. Its median rent is $1,747 a month. The share of households in Eastham who are owner-occupiers: 88%.
| Eastham | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,747 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Chatham weather station, 13 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 221 days, the highest of 539 Massachusetts places with climate records. July afternoons average 77.3°, cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 25.1°.
Among 283 Massachusetts towns, just 4 have a higher January low than Eastham. The town has chilly winters and pleasant summers. About 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Eastham | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 83°F | 85°F |
| January low | 25°F | 18°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Eastham sits closer to the middle. The violent offense rate for Eastham comes to 2.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Eastham | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Eastham; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Eastham residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Coastal flooding makes up 26% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
53.3% 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
11 places in Eastham on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Eastham () is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The population was 5,752 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information about the village of North Eastham, please see North Eastham, Massachusetts.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Eastham.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastham | #213 | C+ | D | B | B | A− |
| Wellfleet | #161 | B | D | B+ | B+ | A |
| North Eastham | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Orleans | #145 | B+ | D | B | B+ | A |
North Eastham isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Eastham with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Eastham grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #213 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A− for health, B for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Eastham 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.
