Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Located in Massachusetts, Barnstable County has a population of 231,668 residents and a median age of 55.4 years, making it the #306 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.7%. The median home value is $629,000, and the median household income is $95,241, which is 27% above the national median.
Demographics
Barnstable County has a population of 231,668, making it the #306 most populous county in the US. The median age is 55.4 years, which is 42.4% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Barnstable County is $95,241, ranking #222 out of 3,222 counties — 26.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.7% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Barnstable County is $629,000 (+123.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,678/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Barnstable County, 48.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 43.1% above the national average, ranking #124 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Barnstable County is 79.5 years. 11.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 3.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
10.9% of adults in Barnstable County smoke , 26.5% are obese , and 23.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 41.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Barnstable County is 1.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.4 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
11.5% of children in Barnstable County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 5.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Barnstable County is 87.1%. The mean commute time is 26.6 min, which is 3.7% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Barnstable County voted Democratic with a margin of 20.7%. The vote was 59.6% Dem / 38.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Barnstable County, Massachusetts has a total population of 231,668, making it the 306th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Barnstable County is 55.4 years, which is 42.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Barnstable County is $95,241, which ranks #222 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.
The median home value in Barnstable County is $629,000, 123.1% above the national median. Renters in Barnstable County pay a median gross rent of $1,678 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Barnstable County, 48.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.1% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.6 min.
Barnstable County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.2% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.7%).
All data for Barnstable County, Massachusetts comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.