Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Barnstable County is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. The county seat is Barnstable. The county consists of Cape Cod and associated islands. Barnstable County was formed within the Plymouth Colony on June 2, 1685, including the towns of Falmouth, Sandwich, and others to the east and north on Cape Cod. Plymouth Colony was merged into the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691.
History
Giovanni da Verrazzano
Cape Cod is described in a letter from the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano to Francis I of France, relating the details of a voyage to the New World made on behalf of the French crown in the ship Dauphine, the only surviving of a fleet of four. Sailing from Madeira in 1524, the Dauphine made land in North Carolina in March. It sailed north to Newfoundland, mapping the coast and interviewing the natives, whom he found friendly south of the cape, but unfriendly north of it. To the north of an island that reminded Verrazzano of Rhodes, the Dauphine made its way with difficulty over shoals "never less than three feet deep" extending "from the continent fifty leagues out to sea," which Brevoort, based on their extent, has identified as Nantucket Shoals. Verrazzano called them Armellini. On the other side was a promontory, Pallavisino, which is probably the cape, as they sailed along it for "fifty leagues." Details of the north end are not given, but subsequently they came to a "high country, full of very dense forests, composed of pines," which, according to Brevoort and others, resembles the coast of Maine.Bartholomew Gosnold
After Verrazzano, what is now the eastern United States acquired the map label of New France, but France had no way to develop it. Scattered colonies in the wilderness of a few dozen men could not be supported until the foundation of Quebec in 1608. Meanwhile, the paper claim did not deter entrepreneurs. In March 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold set sail from Falmouth, Cornwall, in the ship, Concord, transporting a crew of eight, an exploration party of 12, and 20 colonists, with the intent of establishing a trading post in the New World. Intersecting the coast of Maine, they turned to the south, encountered what appeared to be an island, and dropped anchor in Provincetown Harbor. Gosnold at first called the land Shoal Hope, but after discovering it was a cape, and acquiring a hold full of cod from the abundant schools in Cape Cod Bay, he changed the name to Cape Cod.Gosnold explored the cape, establishing good relations with the natives there, approximately 1500 members of the Nauset Tribe, closely related in language and custom to the Wampanoag people of the mainland, and under their sovereignty. John Brereton, chaplain of the expedition, reported that they were dark-skinned, customarily nude except for deerskins over the shoulders and sealskins around the waist, and wore their long, black hair up in a knot. They painted their bodies. Some knew a few English words, which is something of a historical problem, as Gosnold and his companions are believed to have been the first English to land in America. Gosnold made a point of describing how healthy the people appeared.
Subsequently, Gosnold sailed around the cape to discover an island, "full of wood, vines, gooseberry bushes, whortleberries, raspberries, eglantines, etc.," as well as large numbers of shore birds. He named it Martha's Vineyard after his daughter. Another island nearby, Cuttyhunk Island, he named Elizabeth Island, in honor of Elizabeth I of England, from which the Elizabeth Islands take their name. He intended to place a trading post there, but when the time came for the return voyage, the colonists decided not to remain. Gosnold ventured a second time to the New World in 1608 as Captain John Smith's second in command of the Jamestown expedition. After three months there, he died of malaria.
Martin Pring
In 1603, another mercantile expedition set sail from Bristol, England, in two ships, the Speedwell and the Discoverer, commanded by a 23-year-old captain, Martin Pring. Elizabeth I had died two weeks earlier, but Pring had secured permission from Sir Walter Raleigh, who held from the queen exploration rights to all of North America.Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It is the second largest county in Massachusetts by total area. It has about of shoreline.Barnstable County is not co-extensive with Cape Cod. The latter is a geophysical place defined by its insular or peninsular landmass. According to Freeman, it is a "long, irregular peninsula" between, measured along the north or the south shores respectively, and between wide. Originally, only the tip was considered the cape, but as it was settled the name extended from its tip to the shortest line across the isthmus. Barnstable County, on the other hand, is a geopolitical and legal entity. It is the area contained within the borders of all cities and towns defined to be in the county by the Massachusetts General Court. These borders were decided in episodes of disputed legislation during the centuries since the founding of Plymouth Colony.
The main difference between Cape Cod and Barnstable County is the band of water up to several miles wide extending from the shoreline to the outermost county border. The offshore area contains significant maritime life, is a recreational and transport medium, and contains historical material lost in shipwrecks.
The highest elevation in the county is, at the summit of Pine Hill, on Joint Base Cape Cod, in Bourne. The lowest point is sea level.
Adjacent counties
Barnstable County borders Plymouth County to the northwest; off Barnstable County's southern shore are Dukes County and Nantucket County.National protected areas
- Cape Cod National Seashore
- Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge
- Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 228,996. Of the residents, 14.3% were under the age of 18 and 32.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 55.0 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.4 males. 97.2% of residents lived in urban areas and 2.8% lived in rural areas.The racial makeup of the county was 85.8% White, 2.9% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.4% from some other race, and 6.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.5% of the population.
There were 103,368 households in the county, of which 18.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 29.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 164,885 housing units, of which 37.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.6% were owner-occupied and 22.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.9%.
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | % 2000 | % 2010 | ||
| White alone | 207,518 | 197,327 | 194,561 | 93.37% | 91.40% | 84.96% |
| Black or African American alone | 3,848 | 3,857 | 6,409 | 1.73% | 1.78% | 2.79% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 1,148 | 1,184 | 1,092 | 0.51% | 0.54% | 0.47% |
| Asian alone | 1,363 | 2,263 | 3,183 | 0.61% | 1.04% | 1.38% |
| Pacific Islander alone | 50 | 65 | 65 | 0.02% | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone | 1,842 | 2,284 | 3,448 | 0.82% | 1.05% | 1.50% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial | 3,461 | 4,221 | 12,330 | 1.55% | 1.95% | 5.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,000 | 4,687 | 7,908 | 1.34% | 2.17% | 3.45% |
| Total | 222,230 | 215,888 | 228,996 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 215,888 people, 95,755 households, and 58,724 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 160,281 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 92.7% white, 1.9% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 1.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were Irish, 19.2% were English, 11.4% were Italian, 11.4% were American, and 9.1% were German.Of the 95,755 households, 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.7% were non-families, and 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age was 49.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $60,317 and the median income for a family was $75,056. Males had a median income of $53,480 versus $41,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,246. About 5.0% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.