Barnstable is a medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 49,532 people and 11 associated neighborhoods, Barnstable is the 28th largest community in Massachusetts.

Housing costs in Barnstable are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Massachusetts.

Also of interest is that Barnstable has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in Barnstable telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 10.29% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Barnstable is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

The population of Barnstable is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 39.50% of adults in Barnstable have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Barnstable in 2022 was $51,061, which is middle income relative to Massachusetts, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $204,244 for a family of four. However, Barnstable contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Barnstable is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Barnstable home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Barnstable residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Barnstable include Irish, English, Italian, Brazilian, and German.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Barnstable's cultural character, accounting for 18.22% of the city’s population.

The most common language spoken in Barnstable is English. Other important languages spoken here include Portuguese and Spanish.