Fire Station, 2012
Forestdale’s story
Forestdale in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 6 maps from 1886 on.
Explore the history →
ForestdaleMA
3,801 residents make their home in this town in Massachusetts.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,801
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$490K
Census ACS
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
262
A commuter town
Is Forestdale a good place to live?
Forestdale’s median rent is $2,176 a month, above both the Massachusetts town median ($1,683 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Of the 284 Massachusetts towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Forestdale. Forestdale’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. We don’t grade Forestdale yet; the figures below are still real.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Forestdale for work
Where Forestdale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
262jobs based in Forestdale
1%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 193 attractions →USS Massachusetts and 54 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Forestdale. Close and well known come first.
34 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
19 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
29 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
34 mi MuseumBattleship Cove
21 mi LandmarkNational Monument to the Forefathers
34 mi MuseumUSS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain · Battleship Cove: Electroengie at English Wikipedia, Public domain · National Monument to the Forefathers: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.: "Official U.S. Navy Photograph, Released, U.S. Naval Photographic Center, U.S. N, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Forestdale: who provides what
Forestdale is unincorporated, so Barnstable County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSandwich 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 hereSandwich Town ClerkTown of Sandwich; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes02644, 0256302644 96% · 02563 4%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 Forestdale.
Work & commute
Most of Forestdale’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.1 jobs for each of them
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Forestdale rose by 64, to 262. Most people who work leave Forestdale to do it: just 1% work in town. Also worth knowing: for residents in the town, the share who live below the poverty line is 4.5%. The top destinations are Sandwich (21%), Barnstable Town (17%) and Falmouth (7%).
1%work in town
| Forestdale | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Forestdale1%
Sandwich21%
Barnstable Town17%
Falmouth7%
Mashpee6%
12 mi
median commute distance
262
jobs based in Forestdale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Forestdale brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The town’s typical July afternoon high stands at 81°F.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
Spring38–56°
Summer60–78°
Fall45–63°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
Conservation land takes up 13.8% of Forestdale
There are 7.2 miles of trail across 3 parks and preserves.
13.8%conserved
13.8%
conserved · 366 of 2,658 acres
7.2 mi
of trails · 1.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wakeby Pond Access | 0.4 mi | 17 |
| 2. Oak Crest Cove Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
| 3. Andersen Cr | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Forestdale is
Among adults in Forestdale, 82% had a checkup this year. This Massachusetts town beats the Massachusetts average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 28% of adults in the town have obesity; 9% have diabetes.
| Forestdale | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 28% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 9.3% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
2 better28 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Forestdale | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 74.5% | 68.4% |
| More adults with arthritis | 29.7% | 25.4% |
Falmouth Hospital
10 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Forestdale has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Forestdale, 67% come from inland flooding and 23% from hurricanes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in nearly three fifths of U.S. communities.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
The median home in Forestdale sells for about $618K
In Forestdale, 89% of households own their home.
$618Kmedian sale price
4
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Forestdale
16pages on Forestdale
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Forestdale
Massachusetts Maritime AcademyUniversity or college · Public · Buzzards Bay7 mi$11,420 in-state tuitionCape Cod Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · West Barnstable9 mi$6,000 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Forestdale residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
About Forestdale
Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States
Forestdale is a village and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Sandwich in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, Forestdale had a population of 4,116. It is the most populous of the three CDPs in Sandwich. The ZIP code of Forestdale is 02644.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 164 ft
- ZIP code
- 02644
Forestdale’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Forestdale.
SandwichMashpeeForestdale
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forestdale | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sandwich | #100 | A− | D | A− | B+ | A |
| Mashpee | #191 | B− | D | B+ | B− | A− |
Forestdale isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Forestdale with a neighbor →
Questions about Forestdale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Forestdale, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Forestdale yet; the figures below are still real.