West Dennis Graded School, 2008
West Dennis’s story
193 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 5 maps from 1887 on.
- 1833West Dennis is settled
West DennisMA
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0
Population
2,556
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$645K
Census ACS
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
60.4
years
Jobs based here
689
Balanced
Is West Dennis a good place to live?
West Dennis’ average trip to work is 17 minutes, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 30 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Among 284 Massachusetts towns, just 4 have a higher median age than West Dennis. West Dennis’ trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Fresh Pond Conservation Area, at 60 acres. We don’t grade West Dennis yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes West Dennis stand out
Where West Dennis beats most towns.
By the sea
West Dennis lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 28% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
28%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
85paid flood-insurance claims since 1978
85thpercentile for hurricane risk
On the water
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Nearby attractions
All 68 attractions →SS Pendleton and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Dennis. Close and well known come first.
12 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
30 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
10 mi National SeashoreCape Cod National Seashore3.7M visitors a year
33 mi LandmarkNational Monument to the Forefathers
5 mi MuseumElephant House
27 mi LandmarkPilgrim MonumentSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
SS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cape Cod National Seashore: SeduisantRedux, CC BY 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 · Pilgrim Monument: Peter Whitlock (Transferred by adavyd/Originally uploaded by Willster3), CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to West Dennis: who provides what
West Dennis is unincorporated, so Barnstable County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDennis 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 hereDennis Town ClerkTown of Dennis; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes02670, 02660, 0263902670 64% · 02660 34% · 02639 2%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 West Dennis.
Who lives here
43% of residents are 65 or older
People 65 and older are 43% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 3% of residents (19% statewide). 43% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in West Dennis.
60.4median age · MA 40
West DennisMassachusettsUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school24%
Some college20%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate23%
Women and men · all residents
57% women, 43% men
About 74 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| West Dennis | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.5% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 16.4% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 1.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.2% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 25.8% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.9% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.9% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.8% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.3% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 23.1% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points
Outdoors
West Dennis has set aside 16.7% of its land for conservation
5.6 miles of trail in 25 parks and preserves.
16.7%conserved
16.7%
conserved · 447 of 2,679 acres
5.6 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Indian Lands | 1.3 mi | 27 |
| 2. Indian Lands Ii | 1 mi | 17 |
| 3. Davis-Bush Conservation Area | 0.9 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In West Dennis, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
West Dennis has chilly winters and pleasant summers. West Dennis’ July high is 79°F.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–41°
Spring38–54°
Summer60–76°
Fall47–62°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Apr 13
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
West Dennis has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave West Dennis for work: only 6% work in town. The median household income in West Dennis is $96,000. The top destinations are Dennis (16%), Barnstable Town (15%) and Yarmouth (9%).
6%work in town
| West Dennis | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.4% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In West Dennis6%
Dennis16%
Barnstable Town15%
Yarmouth9%
Boston7%
11 mi
median commute distance
689
jobs based in West Dennis
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
A smaller share of adults binge drink in West Dennis than in most of Massachusetts or the rest of the country
13% of West Dennis adults binge drink. West Dennis beats the Massachusetts average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 30% of West Dennis adults sleep under 7 hours.
| West Dennis | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 87% | 82% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
15 better10 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | West Dennis | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15% | 8.5% |
Cape Cod Hospital
5.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
West Dennis faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 85 flood insurance claims have been paid out in West Dennis.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCoastal floodingHurricanes
85
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
$950Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
55
days on market
94.6%
sale-to-list price
5
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Dennis
17pages on West Dennis
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of West Dennis
About 8 of every 100 West Dennis residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Massachusetts.
About West Dennis
Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States
West Dennis is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Dennis in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, West Dennis had a population of 2,304.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- ZIP code
- 02670
West Dennis’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with West Dennis.
Dennis PortDennisSouth YarmouthYarmouthSouth DennisWest Dennis
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Dennis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dennis Port | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dennis | #219 | C+ | C | B− | C | A− |
| South Yarmouth | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yarmouth | #241 | C | D | B− | C | A− |
| South Dennis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
West Dennis, Dennis Port, South Yarmouth and South Dennis aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare West Dennis with a neighbor →
Questions about West Dennis
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Dennis, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade West Dennis yet; the figures below are still real.