Hyannis Cape Cod
The mere mention of Hyannis Cape Cod conjures up images of affluence and fame. It’s almost impossible not to associate the name of the village with the name of the Kennedy dynasty.
Hyannis Cape Cod is home to the Kennedys and other highly influential people in the worlds of arts, entertainment, and sports but it’s a real town, populated by real people, too.
According to records taken from the 2000 US Census Bureau survey, there are more than 20,000 people living as full-time residents of Hyannis Cape Cod and not all of them are celebrities. Most of them are just average Americans who happen to live in a really cool town.
Or village, actually. Hyannis Cape Cod is actually one of seven villages that are part of the larger town of Barnstable. The village of Hyannis is considered by many Cape Codders and tourists alike to be the commercial hub of the Cape. It’s also the home to the Barnstable town administrative offices and is the main meeting point for the Cape’s ground, sea, and air transportation services.
Off all the communities on the peninsula, Hyannis Cape Cod is the most ethnically diverse. About 70% of the year-round population is white but the remaining 30% represents cultural diversity from around the globe.
People who trace their origins to Brazil, Cape Verde and other parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America all call Hyannis Cape Cod home. And just to keep things really lively, students from as far away as Ireland and Bulgaria routinely take up summer residence on the island as part of the work force that serves the bustling tourist trade.
In spite of the local celebrities and the vibrant tourist season, Hyannis Cape Cod is home to thousands of families of modest means. According to the 2000 census data, $38,467 is the annual income earned by the average head of household in the village. About 15% of its residents generally earn more than $75,000 per year but about 15% more live below the federally recognized level of poverty.
The cost of housing in Hyannis Cape Cod is just about as varied as it is in most other small towns in the US. In 2000, the median price for a single-family home was around $150,000 but that same home was valued at closer to $200,000 by 2002. For year-round residence in a rental unit, the median rental rate in 2000 was just over $700 per month.