Town Demographics
Orleans is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Massachusetts.
Housing costs in Orleans 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.
Orleans is neither predominantly blue-collar nor white-collar, instead having a mixed workforce of both blue-collar and white-collar jobs. Overall, Orleans is a town of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Orleans who work in management occupations (12.37%), office and administrative support (12.33%), and sales jobs (11.81%).
Of important note, Orleans is also a town of artists. Orleans has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Orleans’s character.
Total full-time population 6,420
| Age Distribution | |
|---|---|
|
65 + |
38.9% |
|
55-64 |
19.4% |
|
35-54 |
20.9% |
|
25-34 |
3.8% |
|
18-24 |
4.0% |
|
5-17 |
10.6% |
|
Under 5 |
2.4% |
Also of interest is that Orleans has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
Another notable thing is that Orleans 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, Orleans’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, Orleans is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Orleans a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public-school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Orleans has a high rate of owner-occupied single-family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Orleans’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.
Orleans 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. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery. Residents of the town have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 19.10 minutes getting to work every day.
If knowledge is power, Orleans is a pretty powerful place. 55.40% of the adults in Orleans have earned a 4-year college degree, master’s degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Orleans in 2010 was $40,742, which is middle income relative to Massachusetts, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $162,968 for a family of four. However, Orleans contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Source: https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ma/orleans/demographics