Harwich is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 13,595 people and three associated neighborhoods, Harwich is the 151st largest community in Massachusetts. Housing costs in Harwich are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Massachusetts.Harwich is neither predominantly blue-collar nor white-collar, instead having a mixed workforce of both blue-collar and white-collar jobs. Overall, Harwich is a town of professionals, service providers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Harwich who work in management occupations (11.44%), sales jobs (10.41%), and office and administrative support (8.17%). Of important note, Harwich is also a town of artists. Harwich has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Harwich’s character. Also of interest is that Harwich has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 17.16% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. Another notable thing is that 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. Because of many things, Harwich is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Harwich a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Harwich has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Harwich’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country. One of the nice things about Harwich is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities. The citizens of Harwich are among the most well-educated in the nation: 46.59% of adults in Harwich have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree, whereas the average US city has 21.84% holding at least a bachelor's degree. The per capita income in Harwich in 2022 was $57,410, which is middle income relative to Massachusetts, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $229,640 for a family of four. The people who call Harwich home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Harwich residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Harwich include Irish, English, Swedish, Italian, and German. The most common language spoken in Harwich is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Armenian.
