Census-designated place · Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts

Northwest Harwich is a census-designated place in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, part of the Barnstable Town, MA metro area. It has 3,932 residents. Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts has a quality-of-life score of 87 out of 100 (very high), ranking #1,964 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Massachusetts it ranks #107 of 225 cities and towns. It ranks best on restaurants and bars (high), students per teacher (low) and arts, entertainment and recreation (high). It ranks worst on rent as share of income (high), home price to income ratio (high) and drought exposure (high).

87Very high

Quality-of-life score: #1,964 of 15,651 cities and towns
Massachusetts: #107 of 225 in MA
Population: 3,932 (2020-2024)
Land area: 8 mi²
Density: 492.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 2549700

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety78#3,349/15,637
Economy58#6,564/15,631
Housing3#14,478/14,977
Health83#2,661/15,609
Healthcare96#567/15,650
Environment85#2,367/15,453
Education92#1,177/15,649
Infrastructure54#7,152/15,650
Community88#1,881/15,651
Leisure & amenities99#139/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Barnstable County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Restaurants and bars · high17.7 /10k
98/100Massachusetts 9.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBarnstable County value
Students per teacher · low10.3×
97/100Massachusetts 11.9×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsBarnstable County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high11.6 /10k
96/100Massachusetts 5.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBarnstable County value
Hot days · low1 days
96/100Massachusetts 8 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationBarnstable County value
Flu vaccinations · high56.0%
96/100Massachusetts 55.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarnstable County value
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.3 /10k
95/100Massachusetts 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBarnstable County value

Weaknesses

Rent as share of income · high51.0%
2/100Massachusetts 30.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Home price to income ratio · high6.2×
9/100Massachusetts 5.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Drought exposure · high83%
9/100Massachusetts 44%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAABarnstable County value
Rent-burdened households · high85.7%
14/100Massachusetts 51.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Child care cost burden · high37.6%
15/100Massachusetts 39.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarnstable County value
Job growth · low-1.7%
16/100Massachusetts -0.9%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataBarnstable County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
23.5% (2015-2019) → 85.7% (2020-2024)
+62 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
22.6% (2015-2019) → 51.0% (2020-2024)
+28 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$74,208 (2015-2019) → $107,730 (2020-2024)
+45%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
87.5% (2015-2019) → 96.4% (2020-2024)
+8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
8.2% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−8.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
7.0% (2015-2019) → 1.8% (2020-2024)
−5.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Household income+45%$74,208 → $107,730

Declined2

Rent burden+62 points23.5% → 85.7%
Rent / income+28 points22.6% → 51.0%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.2 min2015-2019	24.0 min2020-2024	+2.8 min	Within the margin of error	21%
Bachelor's degree or higher	43.5%2015-2019	46.6%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Broadband subscriptions	87.5%2015-2019	96.4%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Effective property tax rate	0.79%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
High school diploma or higher	94.7%2015-2019	97.5%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Home price to income ratio	5.4×2015-2019	6.2×2020-2024	+0.7×	Within the margin of error	33%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4332015-2019	0.4382020-2024	+0.006	Within the margin of error	46%
Median household income	$74,2082015-2019	$107,7302020-2024	+45%	Improved	80%
Poverty rate	7.5%2015-2019	7.5%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Rent as share of income	22.6%2015-2019	51.0%2020-2024	+28 points	Declined	0%
Rent-burdened households	23.5%2015-2019	85.7%2020-2024	+62 points	Declined	0%
Unemployment rate	8.1%2015-2019	7.4%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	64%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts itself moved −16.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

3,932 residents (±508)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 men (+3.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

3,932 residents (±508)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

White87%3,411
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino2.7%†107
Asian0.6%†22
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races10.0%†392

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

3,180 residents (±360)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

No high school diploma2.5%†78
High school or GED22%†708
Some college19%†589
Associate degree10%†322
Bachelor's degree23%730
Graduate degree24%†753

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,673 households (±191)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $25k8.5%†143
$25k–50k7.5%†126
$50k–75k11%†189
$75k–100k19%†315
$100k–150k19%†320
$150k–200k9.5%†159
$200k or more25%†421

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+17.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,673 households (±191)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Own90%1,498
Rent10%†175

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

147 households (±89)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $7505.4%†8
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,5008.8%†13

Home values

1,498 homes (±209)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $150k4.3%†64
$150k–250k3.9%†58
$250k–400k2.3%†

Age of homes

3,245 homes (±331)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

2010 or later5.0%†163
2000–200911%†345
1980–199936%1,180

Size of homes

3,245 homes (±331)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Studio0.7%†23
1 bedroom1.7%†56
2 bedrooms20%635

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,865 workers (±424)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Drive alone58%1,083
Carpool17%†314
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.0%†19
Bike1.6%†30
Work from home22%†419
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−19.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,446 workers (±340)

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under 15 min34%†494
15–29 min41%†597
30–44 min13%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Barnstable Town, MA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Barnstable County, the county holding most of Northwest Harwich's residents.

Barnstable County has 8,957 employer establishments, 383 for every 10,000 residents (1.54× the US rate of 248; 1.48× Massachusetts's), with 76,963 paid employees at an average annual pay of $61,811. The Census Bureau also counts 28,874 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 8,957; 28,874 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 383; US 248 · Massachusetts 260
Paid employees: 76,963
Average annual pay: $61,811; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Barnstable County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	910	39	2.52×More than typical	4,145	$72,291	3,116
Restaurants and other eating places	813	34.8	1.90×More than typical	9,234	$47,055	100
Services to buildings and dwellings	617	26.4	3.92×More than typical	2,797	$63,721	2,134
Construction of buildings	562	24.1	3.18×More than typical	2,413	$78,221	1,249
Ambulatory health care services	486	20.8	1.00×About typical	6,523	$69,830	1,294
Landscaping services	478	20.5	5.84×More than typical	2,236	$65,708	776
Full-service restaurants	446	19.1	2.49×More than typical	5,822	$53,201	43
Lessors of real estate	388	16.6	1.35×More than typical	1,180	$59,390	3,699
Building equipment contractors	356	15.2	2.53×More than typical	2,130	$73,771	529
Building finishing contractors	272	11.6	3.06×More than typical	740	$59,107	1,658
Clothing and accessories stores	219	9.4	2.58×More than typical	1,496	$32,830	231
Limited-service restaurants	215	9.2	1.15×About typical	2,041	$39,789	30

Rank places for an industry Open Barnstable County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 233,592 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

978FY2017
951.8FY2019
41.4KFY2020

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts, so they do not add up across cities.

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts's figures are part of those of Barnstable County, MA ($136.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Northwest Harwich is mostly in Barnstable County.

See federal money in Barnstable County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Northwest Harwich, Massachusetts is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

William R. KeatingD-MA-9 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 4.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Barnstable County95100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Barnstable Town, MA97

Other cities and towns in Barnstable County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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