City profile · Massachusetts · Census ACS 2023

Chatham, MA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Chatham - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,614
Residents
$82,269
Median income
$1,550,000
Median home
$2,422
Median rent (state)

Chatham - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Chatham places in the 64th percentile for household income and the 77th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

64th
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
91st
percentile, median rent
77th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Chatham, MA

Chatham is a small town in Massachusetts, home to 1,614 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $82,269 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.7%. Typical homes in Chatham are valued around $1,550,000, and the median resident age is 67.4 years. About 60.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 28.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Chatham reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 686.9 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Chatham's yearly average temperature at 50.3°F with 45.9 inches of precipitation per year and 24.5 inches of snowfall.

Massachusetts carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Massachusetts at 105.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,422 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Massachusetts run around $330, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 89.1 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

1,614 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Massachusetts

Median Household Income

$82,269 /yr

Poverty 8.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

105.8 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Massachusetts average

How does Chatham compare to other US cities?

Here's how Chatham stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 64% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 91% pricier than other cities
Safety 77% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Massachusetts and the picture shifts: Chatham ranks #52 of 149 Massachusetts cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Chatham against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Massachusetts only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Massachusetts-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Chatham's strongest outlier among Massachusetts cities

Among the 240 Massachusetts cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Chatham ranks #1 - the 100th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Chatham only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#158 of 233
32nd percentile in Massachusetts
Median Gross Rent
#79 of 247
60th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Home Value
#1 of 240
100th percentile in Massachusetts
Poverty Rate
#58 of 247
77th percentile in Massachusetts
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#57 of 247
77th percentile in Massachusetts

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Massachusetts only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

64thIncome percentile
77thSafety percentile

64th percentile nationally for median household income · 77th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Chatham's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Chatham's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 49 Avg. percentile National median
Chatham's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Chatham's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$1,550,000 1st percentile more affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Chatham $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Chatham, MA Chatham, MA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Chatham, MA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Chatham, MA median $82,269/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Chatham, MA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Chatham, MA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 60.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 28.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,614
Median Income
$82,269
Median Home Value
$1,550,000
Median Age
67.4
Poverty Rate
8.7%
Labor force participation
28.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
60.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
686.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
175.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
511.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
50.3°F
Annual Precipitation
45.9"
Annual Snowfall
24.5"

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.2%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
2.8%
Walk
3.9%
Work from Home
16.3%
Other
2.8%

Based on 466 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Massachusetts - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$160
avg/month
Natural Gas
$110
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$330
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Massachusetts state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Massachusetts state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Chatham sits in

Cost of Living Index
105.8
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,422/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
89.1 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Massachusetts

Orleans
1,618 people
Duxbury
1,620 people
Harwich Center
1,620 people
Rowley
1,576 people
West Falmouth
1,655 people
Groton
1,571 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Chatham's 1,614 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Crainville, IL
1,614 people
Van Buren, ME
1,614 people
Wilson-Conococheague, MD
1,614 people
Vander, NC
1,614 people
Rural Retreat, VA
1,614 people
Paul, ID
1,615 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Chatham's $82,269 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Inwood, WV
$82,267 median income
Tubac, AZ
$82,273 median income
Luling, LA
$82,273 median income
Arcadia, NE
$82,273 median income
Streetsboro, OH
$82,273 median income
Colonial Pine Hills, SD
$82,262 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Chatham, MA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Chatham, MA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 99.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 99.1% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 0.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Chatham compares to nearby Massachusetts cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Chatham (this city) 1,614 $82,269
Orleans 1,618 $76,768
Duxbury 1,620 $126,750
Harwich Center 1,620 $76,944
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Chatham, MA?

What is the population of Chatham, MA? +

Chatham, MA counts 1,614 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Chatham, MA? +

In Chatham, the typical household earns $82,269 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Chatham? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Chatham; the closest available measure is the Massachusetts state average, a cost of living index of 105.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Massachusetts vary by metro area.

Is Chatham, MA safe? +

Chatham has a total crime rate of 686.9 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Chatham, MA? +

Homes in Chatham carry a median value of $1,550,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Chatham? +

The average annual temperature in Chatham runs 50.3°F, 45.9 inches of precipitation, and 24.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.