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Harwich is a town on Cape Cod, in Barnstable County in the state of Massachusetts in the United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The town is a popular vacation spot, located near the Cape Cod National Seashore. Harwich's beaches are on "the Sound side" of Cape Cod; the shores that face Nantucket Sound. Harwich has 3 active harbors. Saquatucket, Wychmere and Allen Harbors are all in Harwich Port.
The town is know for its many cranberry salt bogs, which produce cranberries that are commercially farmed. Harwich also contains the largest lake on the Cape, called Long Pond, which serves as a private airport for planes with the ability to land on water.
In the summer, the town is host to the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The team plays at Whitehouse Field.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Harwich, please see the articles on East Harwich, Harwich Center, Harwich Port, North Harwich and West Harwich.
History
Harwich was first settled in 1670 and was officially incorporated in 1694.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 85.9 km² (33.2 mi²). 54.5 km² (21.0 mi²) of it is land and 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²) of it (36.53%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 12,386 people, 5,471 households, and 3,545 families residing in the town. The population density was 227.3/km² (588.6/mi²). There were 9,450 housing units at an average density of 173.4/km² (449.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.41% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.03% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,471 households out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.3% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 29.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,552, and the median income for a family was $51,070. Males had a median income of $38,948 versus $27,439 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,063. About 2.9% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Town of Harwich official website
- Harwich Chamber of Commerce tourist information
- The History of Harwich
- Harwich Public Schools
- Harwich Mariners
- Photos and Video of Weir Fishing in Harwich, MA
"Harwich, Massachusetts"