Another notable thing is that Chatham is a major vacation destination. Much of the town’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Chatham’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.
Because of many things, Chatham is a very good place for families to consider. With an enviable combination of good schools, low crime, college-educated neighbors who tend to support education because of their own experiences, and a high rate of home ownership in predominantly single-family properties, Chatham really has some of the features that families look for when choosing a good community to raise children. Is Chatham perfect? Of course not, and if you like frenetic nightlife, it will be far from your cup of tea. But overall this is a solid community, with many things to recommend it as a family-friendly place to live.
It is a fairly quiet town because there are relatively few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. (Children, for example, often can't help themselves from being noisy, and being parents ourselves, we know!) Chatham has relatively few families with children living at home, and is quieter because of it. Renters and college students, for their own reasons, can also be noisy. Chatham has few renters and college students. But the biggest reason it is quieter in Chatham than in most places in America, is that there are just simply fewer people living here. If you think trees make good neighbors, Chatham may be for you.
Chatham 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.
Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Chatham. 63.12% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.
The per capita income in Chatham in 2022 was $76,541, which is wealthy relative to Massachusetts and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $306,164 for a family of four. However, Chatham contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
The people who call Chatham home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Chatham residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Chatham include Irish, English, German, Italian, and Scottish.
The most common language spoken in Chatham is English. Other important languages spoken here include French Creole and French.
