Compare towns
Barnstable Town vs Needham vs Yarmouth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barnstable Town has the most renters (24.3% rent).
Needham has the most people working from home (32.4%).
Yarmouth has the oldest population (median age 54.6).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Barnstable Town | Needham | Yarmouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 49,568Highest |
32,459 |
25,224Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.2% MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±1.9 23% above MA |
43.1±1.6Lowest 8% above MA |
54.6±3.1Highest 37% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±1.6 MA: 19.4% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.7%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 26.8%±1.8 MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
35%±2.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.1% MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Barnstable Town and Needham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,982±$6k 12% below MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
$86,039±$6kLowest 17% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $602,500±$14k 7% above MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
$551,800±$25kLowest about the MA average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,917±$127 9% above MA |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
$1,721±$200Lowest about the MA average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,975Lowest 34% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$3,975Lowest 34% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.6%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
75.2%±8.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Yarmouth and Barnstable Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.5%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
82.3% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA |
1965Lowest 1 yr newer than MA |
1974 10 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 15% below MA |
28 minHighest 5% below MA |
24 minLowest 18% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.3%±2.6 MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
9.5%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #189 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA | #223 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Barnstable | — | Dennis-Yarmouth |
| High school in town | Barnstable High | — | Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Lowest |
— | 11.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.