The Town Files

East Sandwich, Massachusetts

Community in Barnstable County · population 3,669 (2020 Census)

Map: where East Sandwich is in MassachusettsEast Sandwich
Median home
$689,000
Household income
$115,000
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 77°
Snow a year
22 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
53.4

East Sandwich is a community of 3,669 people in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $689,000, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks better for a vacation home than 95% of Massachusetts towns, better for cycling than 94% of Massachusetts towns, better for retirees than 88% of Massachusetts towns.

East Sandwich in our rankings:

How East 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.

East Sandwich lifestyle rankings vs other Massachusetts townsRetirement88th pctFamilies88th pctQuiet78th pctWalkability20th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals38th pctVibrancy23rd pctHip & trendy9th pctCollege town67th pctUpscale75th pctVacation homes95th pctSeaside character87th pctCycling94th pctTransitbottomDriving27th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in East Sandwich is worth $689,000, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 6.0 times the median household income of $115,000, which is more affordable than 20% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $1,637 a month. 90.0% of households own their home.

East Sandwich vs Barnstable County vs typical Massachusetts townEast SandwichBarnstable CountyTypical Massachusetts townHome value$689,000$629,000$510,150Household income$115,000$95,241$108,622Monthly rent$1,637$1,678$1,561
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Massachusetts towns with 500+ people.
HousingEast SandwichTypical Massachusetts town
Median home value$689,000$510,150
Median rent$1,637$1,561
Median household income$115,000$108,622
Home value ÷ income6.0×4.5×
Homeownership90.0%80.7%
Median year built19791968
Seasonal / vacation homes22.4%—

Who lives in East Sandwich

PeopleEast SandwichTypical Massachusetts town
Median age53.444.8
Age 65 and over35.7%20.7%
Under 1813.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher54.4%45.7%
Below the poverty line11.5%6.3%
Veterans7.0%—
Born outside the U.S.5.2%—
Work from home17.9%17.7%
Average commute28.0 min30.1 min
Homes with broadband96.2%93.9%

Weather in East 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 21.5 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.

East Sandwich monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing38°20°Jan40°22°Feb45°27°Mar55°36°Apr65°47°May71°56°Jun77°63°Jul76°62°Aug70°55°Sep61°44°Oct52°35°Nov44°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.99.54.06.35.33.64.63.94.13.83.03.95.34.75.62.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the E Sandwich station (2.5 mi away); snow from Hyannis (8.1 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of East Sandwich since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 22, 1977 about 8.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 8, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of East Sandwich by decade01950s11960s11970s01980s01990s02000s02010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

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

Storm events in Barnstable County since 1996 by typeHail45Flood36High Wind221Lightning32Heavy Rain22Heavy Snow32Flash Flood18Strong Wind118
NOAA Storm Events Database, Barnstable County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Barnstable County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 15, 2023HurricaneEM-3599: Hurricane Lee
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3438: Covid-19
June 25, 2018Severe StormDR-4372: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding
April 13, 2015Severe StormDR-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 East Sandwich itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.

Largest industries in Barnstable CountyHotels & restaurants15,677 jobs · $40,105Health care & social assistan…15,098 jobs · $73,389Retail14,563 jobs · $44,996Construction7,204 jobs · $81,495Professional & technical serv…4,768 jobs · $93,138Administrative & support4,390 jobs · $62,109
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Barnstable County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Barnstable 4.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in East Sandwich

2 public schools with 1,586 students, about 11.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Sandwich Middle High School7-1291210.4
Oak Ridge3-667412.3

Towns near East Sandwich

East Sandwich questions

Is East Sandwich, Massachusetts a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, East Sandwich scores better for retirees than 88% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 78%. 35.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.4).

How much does a house cost in East Sandwich?

The median owner-occupied home in East Sandwich is valued at $689,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $115,000, so homes cost about 6.0 times income. Median rent is $1,637 a month.

What is the weather like in East 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 21.5 inches of snow.

Does East Sandwich get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of East Sandwich since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 22, 1977. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to East Sandwich's Census boundary (GEOID 2520380). Comparisons use the median of Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.