Introduction

Cape Cod is a peninsula off the coast of Massachusetts, separated from the mainland by canal. The landmass is home to Barnstable County which is comprised of 15 towns. For the purposes of this dashboard, “Cape Cod” and “Barnstable County” are interchangeable.

The region is also divided among locals into four sub-regions. Two sub-regions find their name from Cape Cod’s arm shape. The Upper Cape region correlates to one’s upper arm and the Lower Cape correlates to one’s lower arm. The Mid Cape region is between the Upper and Lower Cape regions. The Outer Cape region gets its name from being the outermost stretch of shoreline, abutting the Atlantic Ocean. It is common for locals to hold up their arm as if posing for a bodybuilding competition and point to where they are from when asked by visitors.

With 559 miles of coastline and 890 freshwater lakes and ponds, the natural beauty of Cape Cod draws millions of visitors annually, typically in the summer months. Over time the visiting season on Cape Cod has extended by local and regional marketing initiatives. However, the region is still predominantly perceived as a place to visit during the months of June, July, and August. This seasonal influx is evidenced by the increase in automotive traffic across the bridges spanning the Cape Cod Canal. Some businesses close for months at a time during the year, such as ice cream shops and whale watching tours.

Due to its popularity, Cape Cod is also a natural choice for second homes. It is estimated between 37-40% of single-family units on Cape Cod are not the primary residence for their owners, but rather seasonal or second homes. These “second homes” see an array of uses from long- and short-term rentals to weekend havens.

Migration by County

For period covering 2022