Harwich is a somewhat small coastal town (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 12,386 people and three constituent neighborhoods, Harwich is the 153rd largest community in Massachusetts.

Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Harwich is neither predominently one or the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Harwich is a town of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Harwich who work in sales jobs (13.61%), office and administrative support jobs (12.83%), and teaching (7.97%).

Harwich is an extremely popular destination for tourists and seasonal residents. So much of the population is seasonal such that the town's population swells significantly during the vacation season, and drops again when the season ends. Because of this, much of the local economy is centered around tourism; some businesses may be operated only during the high season. During the low season, year-round residents will notice that the city is a substantially quieter place to live.

A very large number of seniors call Harwich home: people 65 and over are 29.87% of the population. Because of the prominence of the retirement community, this is good place for the over-65 crowd to settle, as many of the town's services and social community are geared to this demographic.

The town is also nautical, which means that parts of Harwich are somewhat historic and bounded by the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

For most residents of Harwich, getting to work requires a car. In fact, 96.5% of people in Harwich drive alone to work on most days, making Harwich a very car-oriented town. In general, car-oriented communities tend to emphasize streets, highways, and ease of parking, often to the detriment of walkability. Strip centers are a feature of Harwich's landscape.

Being a small town, Harwich does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

Harwich Information and Demographics

The education level of Harwich citizens is substantially higher than the average US city or town, as 32.42% of adults in Harwich have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Harwich in 2000 was $23,063, which is lower middle income relative to Massachusetts, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $92,252 for a family of four.

The people who call Harwich home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Harwich is White, followed by African-American. Important ancestries of people in Harwich include Irish, English, Italian, German, French, Scottish, Swedish, Portuguese, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Harwich is English.