Is Cape Cod a Good Place to Retire?

January 18, 2023 — Is Cape Cod a good place to retire? Yes, it is definitely one of the most popular places to retire on the East Coast. Almost a quarter of million people live year round on Cape Cod, and about a fourth of those are people over 65. A short visit will quickly show a multitude of reasons why this sandy hook on the Massachusett coast attracts so many retirees. It is a magical place – every time I go there it seems like the world slows down, gets sunnier, and is more peaceful.

My friend Jeff’s retirement in Dennis, Mass. is a fairly typical story. He has known for a long time that Cape Cod is a good place to retire. His family had owned a cottage here for over 60 years, so when it came time to retire from his busy job, it was an easy decision to do an extensive renovation of their Cape Cod home in Dennis, and sell the main home near Springfield, MA. He and his wife could not be happier with the decision. They are a short walk to a sandy beach on the Bay, and can easily drive to freshwater ponds for refreshing swimming. Golf is terrific here, with courses like The Captains Table, Dennis Pines, Dennis Highlands, Cranberry Valley, and many others. Some courses are municipal, some public, and there are exclusive private golf clubs too. Fishing, boating, antiquing, are all popular activities on Cape Cod.

Most Cape Cod retirees have already had some other previous contact with it, either from vacations or living in the Boston area. Many start their retirement move here well before they retire, going out for weekends and vacations. When their retirement starts, it’a an easy transition to live here full time.

Where to live

The most charming town on the Cape, and probably its most expensive, is Chatham, which is located on its outer (southeast) elbow. The old homes are beautiful, the downtown is charming and full of great shops and restaurants, and the public beach looking out at the Chatham Bars (breaks in the ocean between sandbars) has to be one of the prettiest anywhere. A Coast Guard station and lighthouse stands guard over it.

Near there are the towns of Orleans, Brewster, and Orleans. These are also beautiful and have much to offer. Almost every home features the classic Cape Cod shingle style of architecture. Many homes are in neighborhoods in the old towns, while others are in newer developments built to satisfy the demand for Cape Cod living.

Provincetown (P’town) is undoubtedly the most interesting town on the Cape. It is located on the very tip as it curves back to Boston and Plymouth. Famous for being open to the LGBT lifestyle (and just about anything else), it is also a great place to vacation. Long ago when our children were young we stayed at a campground set in enormous sand dunes just outside of town. From there we could all bicycle for miles on the National Seashore bike trails, and then ride into town for meals, shopping, and ice cream. The coastal towns leading up to P’town like Truro and Wellfleet generally don’t have much in the way of a real town, but they do offer the ability to live near some of the best beaches in the world, including Nauset Light, Coast Guard, and Marconi.

Closer to the beginning of the Cape as it crosses the Cape Cod Canal, towns like Sagamore and Sandwich can be a little busier. Down on the southwestern tip is the beautiful town of Falmouth (population 32,000) with many old homes and churches. It actually consists of a number of villages and unincorporated towns including Woods Hole, Teaticket, and East, West, and North Falmouth. The area also has many new developments populated with happy retirees. Hyannis, made famous by the Kennedys, is the most developed part of the Cape, located in the center of the south shore. Going east along the coast from there, just about any retiree would be happy to live in South Yarmouth, Dennisport, and Harwich.

On the northern edge of the Cape the villages of Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, and Brewster offer retirement opportunities before Route 6 turns north toward Provincetown.

What is great about retiring on the Cape

There is a long list!

• Great beaches on the Cape Cod National Seashore
• Charming towns
• Restaurants and shops
• Golf and other forms of recreation
• Your grandchildren will love coming here
• Milder weather than on the mainland
• An airport and hospital

What are the negatives

• It can be expensive to live here
• Lots of traffic and tourists in the high season
• Occasional big storms (fortunately Hurricane Lee did not cause too much damage last week)

Bottom line – is Cape Cod a good place to retire

There are lot of great things about retiring on Cape Cod. It is suitable for a year round residence, and also makes a terrific snowbird pairing for someone who heads south in the winter. Even if you have no desire to retire on Cape Cod, it is certainly worth the trip to check it out for a weekend or vacation. For a list of towns and active and 55+ communities, check out our Massachusetts Directory.