HomeMassachusettsBarnstable County
Barnstable County, Massachusetts: commercial real estate data.
Barnstable County, Massachusetts has a population of 231,668 across 394 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $19.30 bn in 2024, 8,957 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 550 7(a) approvals worth $134.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Barnstable County
How many people live in Barnstable County
- Population231,668
- Households105,777
- Average household size2.19
- Median household income$95,241
- Median age55.4
- Median gross rent$1,678 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$629,000
- Home value to household income6.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher48.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over183,732
- Population under 1832,704
- Share under 1814.1 percent
- Population 65 and over76,755
- Share 65 and over33.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64122,209
- Civilian labor force117,962
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.3 percent
- Rank by population among Massachusetts counties9th of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents306th
Barnstable County is the 9th largest of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. A median home costs 6.6 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 33.1 percent against 14.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Barnstable County
Is Barnstable County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.53 percent
- Census 2020 base population229,067
- Births, 20241,518
- Deaths, 20243,246
- Natural change, 2024-1,728
- Net domestic migration, 202446
- Net international migration, 20241,513
- Total net migration, 20241,559
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20247,664
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1319th
The county has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Barnstable County
Where people moving to Barnstable County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving6,690
- People arriving, from those returns10,625
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.26 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$189,081
- Largest single originBarnstable County Non-migrants (104,795 households)
- Largest single destination (104,795 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County Non-migrants | 104,795 | 182,914 | $12.38 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,795 | 2,829 | $328.8 m |
| Middlesex County | 842 | 1,343 | $190.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 683 | 1,096 | $82.6 m |
| Plymouth County | 648 | 1,029 | $72.1 m |
| Norfolk County | 609 | 1,010 | $129.5 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 608 | 954 | $100.9 m |
| Suffolk County | 459 | 648 | $132.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Barnstable County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Barnstable County
What the Barnstable County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$19.30 bn
- County GDP, 2023$17.87 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.0 percent
- GDP change over five years40.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Massachusetts counties9th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents267th
- GDP per resident$83,302
Output grew 8.0 percent in the latest year and 40.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Barnstable County
Who employs people in Barnstable County
- Covered employment, annual average96,280
- Establishments reporting9,789
- Average annual pay$64,707
- Average weekly wage$1,244
- Sector 72, employment15,677
- Sector 72, average annual pay$40,105
- Sector 62, employment15,098
- Sector 62, average annual pay$73,389
- Sector 44-45, employment14,563
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$44,996
- Sector 23, employment7,204
- Sector 23, average annual pay$81,495
- Sector 54, employment4,768
- Sector 56, employment4,390
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 15,677 | 1,055 | $40,105 |
| Sector 62 | 15,098 | 1,202 | $73,389 |
| Sector 44-45 | 14,563 | 1,307 | $44,996 |
| Sector 23 | 7,204 | 1,456 | $81,495 |
| Sector 54 | 4,768 | 923 | $93,138 |
| Sector 56 | 4,390 | 757 | $62,109 |
| Sector 81 | 3,592 | 744 | $52,110 |
| Sector 71 | 3,103 | 266 | $46,761 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 15,677 jobs, 16.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barnstable County
What businesses operate in Barnstable County
- Establishments, all industries8,957
- Employment at those establishments76,963
- Annual payroll$4.76 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents38.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barnstable County
What is being built in Barnstable County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024640
- Declared construction value permitted$387.6 m
- Single family units authorised430
- Multifamily units authorised210
- Multifamily share of units32.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$605,665
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.1
Multifamily is 32.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Barnstable County
How much SBA lending happens in Barnstable County
- 7(a) approvals recorded550
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$134.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$245,144
- Median 7(a) approval$75,000
- 10th percentile approval$22,000
- 90th percentile approval$500,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,515
- Jobs per approval8.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active50
- Distinct industries receiving approvals173
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer5.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms32
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter512
- Franchise loans17
- Franchise share of approvals3.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (43)
- Most active lenderEastern Bank (169)
- 504 approvals recorded419
- 504 gross approval dollars$237.2 m
- Average 504 approval$566,215
- Median 504 approval$362,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval6.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.9
- Most active CDCCape & Islands Community Development, Inc. (164)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals56.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$372.1 m
The average approval of $245,144 sits well above the median of $75,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 5.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnstable County
Do SBA loans in Barnstable County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded116
- Paid in full109
- Charged off7
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full109
- Status: Exempt from disclosure333
- Status: Cancelled65
- Status: Charged off7
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed36
Of the 116 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnstable County
Which parts of Barnstable County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending54
- HYANNIS, approvals68
- SANDWICH, approvals43
- MASHPEE, approvals38
- FALMOUTH, approvals30
- Brewster, approvals26
- South Yarmouth, approvals25
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HYANNIS | 68 | $15,957,800 |
| SANDWICH | 43 | $7,390,600 |
| MASHPEE | 38 | $6,072,600 |
| FALMOUTH | 30 | $18,418,300 |
| Brewster | 26 | $2,735,600 |
| South Yarmouth | 25 | $4,533,400 |
| CENTERVILLE | 24 | $5,422,000 |
| Harwich | 21 | $6,616,800 |
HYANNIS accounts for 68 approvals against 43 in SANDWICH. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnstable County
How big is Barnstable County
- Land area394 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Massachusetts counties11th of 14
- Width, east to west39.6 mi
- Height, north to south39.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land588
- Establishments per square mile22.73
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Barnstable County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Barnstable County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population231,668
- Households105,777
- Average household size2.19
- Median household income$95,241
- Median age55.4
Common questions
Barnstable County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?
231,668, in 105,777 households, ranking 9th of 14 Massachusetts counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barnstable County growing?
The population has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,518 births against 3,246 deaths, with net migration of 1,559. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barnstable County?
$95,241. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $629,000, which is 6.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,678 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Barnstable County?
8,957 establishments, employing 76,963 people with an annual payroll of $4.76 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Barnstable County?
Average annual pay is $64,707, or $1,244 a week, across 96,280 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barnstable County?
550 7(a) approvals totalling $134.8 m since FY2020, across 50 lenders, with a median approval of $75,000, plus 419 504 approvals worth $237.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Barnstable County get paid back?
Of the 116 loans that have reached a final outcome, 109 were paid in full and 7 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Barnstable County?
640 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $387.6 m. Multifamily was 32.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barnstable County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Barnstable County come from?
The largest single origin is Barnstable County Non-migrants, with 104,795 households. Arriving households report an average income of $189,081 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Barnstable County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Barnstable County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.