Population 3,703 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Provincetown
Household size in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.56 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.68 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.75 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.84 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.29 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Provincetown are small: just 1.84 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has climbed from 1.56 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.7 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 54.9 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 55.0 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.8, Provincetown is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 0.7% of households in Provincetown, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Provincetown
Renters in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.2% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.4% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.7% of households in Provincetown rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over three in ten owners (31.0%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 57.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 58.6% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 63.1% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 54.4% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 54.4% of the housing in Provincetown, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1943 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1957 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +18 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Provincetown is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. That is in line with the rest of Massachusetts.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $950 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $977 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,298 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,293 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$343 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Provincetown costs $1,293 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Provincetown
Bachelor's degrees in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.4% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 52.2% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 56.1% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 62.5% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Provincetown: 62.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.5% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.7% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Provincetown: 96.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Provincetown
| Period | Provincetown | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Provincetown than nationally: unemployment was 7.1%, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Provincetown compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provincetown | 1.84 | 53.8 | 0.7% | 23.7% | 54.4% | 1961 | $1,293 | 62.5% | 96.9% | 7.1% |
| Pilgrim Heights | 1.54 | 64.3 | 5.7% | 3.1% | 72.5% | 1971 | $1,678 | 53.7% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| North Truro | 1.53 | 66.0 | 5.7% | 15.8% | 67.9% | 1977 | $1,678 | 53.6% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Truro | 1.89 | 55.4 | 14.2% | 16.2% | 70.8% | 1981 | $1,677 | 64.0% | 97.0% | 0.0% |
| Wellfleet | 2.09 | 57.4 | 1.8% | 14.0% | 54.7% | 1975 | $1,563 | 67.4% | 98.8% | 9.7% |
| South Wellfleet | 2.07 | 55.3 | 2.0% | 21.9% | 59.1% | 1973 | $1,563 | 71.9% | 99.2% | 8.1% |
| North Eastham | 1.90 | 59.3 | 6.9% | 13.9% | 55.7% | 1973 | $1,838 | 50.2% | 93.1% | 8.2% |
| Eastham | 1.94 | 59.4 | 6.0% | 11.2% | 51.3% | 1975 | $1,790 | 55.8% | 95.2% | 9.9% |
| Orleans | 2.07 | 63.5 | 7.4% | 19.6% | 45.8% | 1978 | $1,401 | 59.3% | 99.0% | 2.8% |
| Brewster | 2.20 | 58.2 | 4.2% | 14.8% | 44.6% | 1982 | $1,565 | 61.2% | 97.7% | 8.2% |
| East Dennis | 2.03 | 65.6 | 6.2% | 15.1% | 39.6% | 1975 | $875 | 55.8% | 99.1% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Preston, MD · Port Gibson, MS · Ransomville, NY · Pittsfield, NH · Planada, CA · Camden, NC · Beloit, KS · Cresson, TX · Oostburg, WI · Bellevue, IA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Provincetown. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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