Map the Block › Places › Massachusetts › Barnstable County
What are the crime rate and median income in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?
FBI reports put Barnstable County at 2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 14% lower than the rate for Massachusetts (3.1). Households here have a median income of $95,241 and the unemployment rate was 3.8% in August 2026. Population: about 231,668 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Barnstable County?
Police agencies in Barnstable County reported an average of 622 violent crimes and 1,682 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 2.7: 14% lower than the Massachusetts rate (3.1), and 27% lower than the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 7.3 per 1,000 residents, compared with 10.7 across Massachusetts. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (79%). CDC death records show about 3 homicide deaths a year in the county (1.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Barnstable County | Per 1,000 | Massachusetts per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 622 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 107 | 0.46 | 0.28 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 24 | 0.10 | 0.37 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 489 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 1,682 | 7.3 | 10.7 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 316 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,275 | 5.5 | 8.4 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 91 | 0.39 | 1.0 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (15 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Barnstable County?
The median household in Barnstable County earns $95,241 a year, close to the Massachusetts median ($103,960). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $629,000 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,678. 9.4% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 14.7%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,937 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Barnstable County | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 231,668 | 7,044,056 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $95,241 | $103,960 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $629,000 | $562,100 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,678 | $1,762 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 7.7% | 10.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 9.4% | 14.7% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 48.2% | 47.3% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 81.1% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 55.4 | 40.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 94.3% | 92.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 2.7% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Barnstable County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Barnstable County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Moderate”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: coastal flooding (Very High) and hurricanes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Barnstable County: Otis Air National Guard Base/Camp Edwards. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
Industrial chemical releases
6 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 6,597 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Barnstable County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 1 day in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 30 community water systems, 1 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 13 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 4 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Barnstable County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 36 highway work zones in Barnstable County (1 active that day). Listed roads include RT-28, US 6 and RT-6A. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Barnstable County?
Barnstable County has 49 public schools (2024-25) and 14 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 15 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 39 fire or EMS stations and 19 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Cape Cod National Seashore. 3 state parks or recreation areas: Hawksnest State Park, Nickerson State Park and South Cape Beach State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Barnstable County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Barnstable County: Mashpee Wampanoag Trust Land.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Barnstable County
Gun shops
5 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Barnstable County, plus 8 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Beacon Trading Post (Bourne), Falmouth Bait & Tackle (E Falmouth), North Chatham Outfitters (North Chatham), North Falmouth Hardware And Marine (N Falmouth) and Riverview Bait & Tackle (South Yarmouth).
Liquor stores
78 liquor stores are on the map in Barnstable County: A J Luke's Super Liquor Store (Harwich), A.J. Luke's Liquors, Absolute Wine and Spirits (Hyannis), Aj Lukes of Hyannis (Hyannis), Arc Aquacultural Research Corp (West Dennis), Becker's Package Store (Yarmouth), Best Buy Beverage, Big Vin's Liquors and 70 more. Massachusetts has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Barnstable County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Barnstable County?
Barnstable County averaged 622 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.7 per 1,000 residents, 14% lower than the Massachusetts rate (3.1). The property-crime rate was 7.3 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Barnstable County?
$95,241 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $103,960 for Massachusetts and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Barnstable County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,937 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Barnstable County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Barnstable County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Moderate”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: coastal flooding (Very High) and hurricanes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Barnstable County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Barnstable County: Otis Air National Guard Base/Camp Edwards.
Is there road construction in Barnstable County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 36 highway work zones in Barnstable County (1 active that day). Listed roads include RT-28, US 6 and RT-6A.
How many nursing homes are in Barnstable County?
15 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Barnstable County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dukes County | 20,933 | 4.0 | $125,786 |
| Plymouth County | 535,075 | 2.8 | $114,201 |
More: Massachusetts statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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