The Town FilesSandwich, Massachusetts
Town in Barnstable County · population 20,259 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $601,400
- Household income
- $122,486
- Jan low / Jul high
- 20° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 30 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 51.8
Sandwich is a town of 20,259 people in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $601,400, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 97% of Massachusetts towns, better for families than 78% of Massachusetts towns, more seaside character than 77% of Massachusetts towns.
How Sandwich ranks
Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sandwich is worth $601,400, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 4.9 times the median household income of $122,486, which is more affordable than 41% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $1,751 a month. 89.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sandwich | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $601,400 | $510,150 |
| Median rent | $1,751 | $1,561 |
| Median household income | $122,486 | $108,622 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.9× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 89.2% | 80.7% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1968 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 13.0% | — |
Who lives in Sandwich
| People | Sandwich | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.8 | 44.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 27.4% | 20.7% |
| Under 18 | 17.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.7% | 45.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.0% | 6.3% |
| Veterans | 6.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.7% | — |
| Work from home | 14.5% | 17.7% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 30.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.9% | 93.9% |
Weather in Sandwich
July highs average 77.1°F and January lows 20.4°F. About 53.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 29.7 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 122 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandwich since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 9, 1968 about 9.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 8, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 7 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on July 2, 2009.
Severe weather in Barnstable County since 1996
Barnstable County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3599: Hurricane Lee |
| March 27, 2020 | Biological | DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3438: Covid-19 |
| June 25, 2018 | Severe Storm | DR-4372: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| April 13, 2015 | Severe Storm | DR-4214: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Barnstable County
Barnstable County had 96,280 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $64,707 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Sandwich itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.
Public schools in Sandwich
1 public school with 543 students, about 11.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forestdale School | PK-2 | 543 | 11.3 |
Towns near Sandwich
- Forestdale, MA2.4 mi · 4,116 people · home $490,200
- Sandwich, MA3.1 mi · 2,998 people · home $584,300
- East Sandwich, MA3.2 mi · 3,669 people · home $689,000
- Sagamore, MA5.4 mi · 3,851 people · home $575,700
- Bourne, MA5.5 mi · 20,452 people · home $575,600
- Monument Beach, MA5.9 mi · 2,784 people · home $559,900
- Mashpee, MA6.6 mi · 15,060 people · home $562,200
- Buzzards Bay, MA7.3 mi · 4,279 people · home $454,500
Sandwich questions
Is Sandwich, Massachusetts a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sandwich scores better for retirees than 58% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 70%. 27.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.8).
How much does a house cost in Sandwich?
The median owner-occupied home in Sandwich is valued at $601,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $122,486, so homes cost about 4.9 times income. Median rent is $1,751 a month.
What is the weather like in Sandwich?
July highs average 77.1°F and January lows 20.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.0 inches of precipitation a year and 29.7 inches of snow.
Does Sandwich get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandwich since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 9, 1968. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)