Bay view. First cottage built, 1905
Onset’s story
142 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1905.
- 1884Onset is settled
OnsetMA
A town of 1,380, settled in 1884.
Photo: David M. Green · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,380
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$408K
Census ACS
Household income
$138K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Jobs based here
172
A commuter town
Is Onset a good place to live?
Onset’s average trip to work is 15 minutes, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 30 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Of the 284 Massachusetts towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Onset. Onset’s trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile, against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is I.C. Hammond Preserve, at 28 acres. We don’t grade Onset yet; the figures below are still real.
By the sea
Onset lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 24% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
24%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
72ndpercentile for hurricane risk
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Nearby attractions
All 224 attractions →Gillette Stadium and 97 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Onset. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw38 mi MuseumThe Breakers
26 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
37 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
14 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
38 mi MuseumMarble HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain
_underway_c1944.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Onset: who provides what
Onset is unincorporated, so Plymouth County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOnset Fire Districtwater Dept.No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPlymouth CountyPlymouth 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 hereWareham Town ClerkTown of Wareham; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes02558, 02538, 0257102558 91% · 02538 8% · 02571 1%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 Onset.
Work & commute
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Onset’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Onset for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Onset grew to 172 in 2023, 64 more than in 2013. 4.8% of Onset residents live below the poverty line.
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Onset2%
Boston15%
Wareham11%
Plymouth6%
Bourne6%
27 mi
median commute distance
172
jobs based in Onset
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Low risk in Onset, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCoastal floodingHurricanes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Onset
Onset has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Onset is 82°F.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
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
Health
A larger share of adults in Onset have diabetes than in the typical Massachusetts or U.S. town
12% of adults have diabetes in Onset. Onset beats the Massachusetts average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 37% of adults have high blood pressure in Onset.
| Onset | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 9.3% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
2 better21 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Onset | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.8% | 68.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.7% | 75.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 5.9% |
Falmouth Hospital
12.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 7.6% of Onset
0.3 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is I.C. Hammond Preserve, at 28 acres.
7.6%conserved
7.6%
conserved · 63 of 823 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. I.C. Hammond Preserve | — | 28 |
| 2. Wabun Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Leonard C. Lopes Memorial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
$160Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Onset
16pages on Onset
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Onset
About 0 of every 100 Onset residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Small town
1,380 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Onset
Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States
Onset is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Wareham, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, Onset had a population of 1,617.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- ZIP code
- 02558
- Area code
- 508
Questions about Onset
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Onset, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Onset yet; the figures below are still real.