Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Orleans grades B+ overall, ranked 145th of 282 in Massachusetts. It has 25 miles of trail. Residents are healthier than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $1.1 million for a typical one and 11.3 times the Barnstable Town metro’s $95K median household income. 11% of residents are under 18 in Orleans, below both Massachusetts’ towns (20%) and U.S. towns (22%). The biggest place to walk is Cape Cod National Seashore, 3,739 acres with 6.1 miles of trail. Orleans's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Where Orleans beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,848 in 1850, a low of 1,012 in 1920, 6,307 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1834 and 5 maps from 1887 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Orleans is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Orleans. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
in town National SeashoreCape Cod National Seashore3.7M visitors a year
36 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
23 mi LandmarkPilgrim Monument
39 mi LandmarkNational Monument to the Forefathers
15 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 Orleans, 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 Orleans.
Orleans 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.
Its B+ is the best School Grade on its borders; Eastham (B) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Nauset school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nauset Regional MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 455 | B− |
| Orleans ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 149 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
At 11.3 years of the Barnstable Town metro’s $95K median household income, the typical home (about $1.08M) costs more against local pay than in 94% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
The typical Orleans home is worth about $1,076,000, up 3.6% in a year, 64% above the Massachusetts typical home. The median rent in Orleans is $1,502 a month.
| Orleans | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,502 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Within Massachusetts it is healthier than 53% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
12% of adults binge drink in Orleans. Only 7 of the 279 Massachusetts towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Orleans. 8.7% of adults smoke cigarettes in Orleans.
| Orleans | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 32% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 33% |
| What stands out | Orleans | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.5% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.4% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16.1% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 52 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Orleans.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Orleans’ trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cape Cod National Seashore | 6.1 mi | 3,739 |
| 2. Kent's Point Conservation/Recreation Area | 1.9 mi | 31 |
| 3. Quanset Road Property | 0.9 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Chatham weather station, 8 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 221 days, the highest of 539 Massachusetts places with climate records. July afternoons average 77.1°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 25.3°.
Only 2 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare have a lower July high than Orleans. Orleans has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Among 283 Massachusetts towns, just 3 have a higher January low than Orleans.
| Orleans | 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 Orleans sits closer to the middle.
| Orleans | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 2,050 working residents takes 22.1 minutes, against 29.1 across Massachusetts. 27.4% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
About one in 5 of Orleans’s working residents works in town. 27% of Orleans workers work from home. Since 2013, Orleans has lost 215 jobs, to 2,855 in 2023.
| Orleans | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 27% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $102,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.6% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Orleans; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Orleans residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Coastal flooding makes up 20% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
42.9% 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
4 places in Orleans on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Orleans.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Orleans ( or-LEENZ) is a town on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The population was 6,307 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Orleans, please see the article Orleans CDP.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Orleans.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans | #145 | B+ | D | B | B+ | A |
| Eastham | #213 | C+ | D | B | B | A− |
| Brewster | #136 | B+ | D | A− | B | A |
| East Harwich | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harwich | #155 | B | D | A− | B | A |
| Chatham | #141 | B+ | D | A− | B | A |
East Harwich isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Orleans with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Orleans grades B+ overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #145 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 Orleans 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.
3 notable people were born here, including A. B. Rogers and George Cleaveland Higgins.
