Woods Hole, Massachusetts Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 988, Woods Hole's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Woods Hole is a small community located in Massachusetts, within Barnstable County. The total population is 988. It ranks as the 226th most populous out of 248 Census-designated places in Massachusetts.

Age Demographics

The median age in Woods Hole is 66.0 years. This is 65% higher than the state median of 40.0 years. Only 7.3% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 17.4% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Woods Hole is $71,724. This is 31% lower than the state median of $103,960. It is also 11% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 5.4%. This is 47% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.0%. The unemployment rate is 10.8%. This is 109% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $877,500. Housing costs are 56% higher than the state median of $562,100. The home-value-to-income ratio of 12.2x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 73.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 62.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Woods Hole has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 8.2%.

Education

80.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Woods Hole in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 70% higher than the state rate of 47.3%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 63.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Woods Hole, Massachusetts is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Massachusetts state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 248 Census-designated places in Massachusetts. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.