Our Data Dive

Ever wonder which town has the highest taxes?

The largest Operating Budget?

The oldest population?

The most kids?

Well, EXIT 89 has.

So to quench our own thirst for information — and hopefully yours too — we’re launching a fun, new, and recurring feature we’re calling the EXIT 89 Data Dive (though it’s really more of an occasional dip) where we compile stats from our neighboring towns on the Lower and Outer Cape and see how Orleans stacks up.

We created tables and charts to give you two ways to make comparisons. We hunted around to find the most reliable sources, and have the Cape Cod Commission to thank for many of those. (You can access its extensive body of data here.) We also relied on data provided by town websites, chambers of commerce, local media, and the Massachusetts Division of Local Services. (Specific sources are cited below each graph or table.)

You may be wondering . . . Why a Data Dive?

It goes back to our mission at EXIT 89: helping residents understand how Orleans government works and encouraging them to jump in. Because decisions are being made in small meeting rooms at Town Hall every day that will lead to big decisions, involving big money, that residents will eventually have the chance to vote on at Town Meeting. And yet, participation at Orleans Town Meeting has hovered around 9 percent of registered voters for the past several years.

Yep, you read that right: nine percent.

This is mystifying to us. We know that most people care about their town — its infrastructure, its natural resources, its economy, its schools. And they certainly care a lot about their property taxes and how their money is spent. So what gives? Especially in a moment when many believe our democracy is under threat and national voter turnout is hitting record highs. This made us wonder: are our neighbors across the Lower and Outer Cape similarly content to delegate their decision-making to a self-selected few?

So we started digging. We looked at the turnout at our neighbors’ Town Meetings. And then we looked at political affiliations, citizen ages, summer vs. winter populations, and more — hoping to understand what makes our Towns different and what makes them the same. This is just the first installment of what we discovered.

Let's take a dip into the data now.

How Many People?

Sources (all accessed September 30-October 5, 2026): Population By Municipality and Year, MA Dept of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Data Analytics and Resources Bureau; About Harwich, Harwich Chamber of Commerce; Our Community, Town of Brewster; Moving to Chatham, MA: Live the Cape Cod Dream, Chatham Chamber of Commerce & Merchants Association; What Peak Season in Orleans, MA Looks Like for Local Businesses, Orleans Chamber of Commerce; Eastham Housing Production Plan, Town of Eastham; Wellfleet Today, Town of Wellfleet; About Truro, Town of Truro; Town Government, Provincetown Chamber of Commerce

How Do They Vote?

Source: 2025 State Election Enrollment Statistics, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Turn-out for Town Meeting?

Source: Town websites and local news coverage

Cost of Running Things?

Source: Town warrants

Highest Tax Rate?

Source: Tax Rates by Class, MA Dept of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Data Analytics and Resources Bureau

Youngest Population?

Source: Town Data Profiles: Barnstable County, DataCapeCod, Cape Cod Commission

What Surprised You?

Did the data reveal anything new to you, EXIT 89 subscribers?

What surprised you most?

What didn't?

We will be rolling out more Data Dives to come — next up, a town-by-town housing comparison — but if you have specific areas you'd like to see us dig into, give us a holler at hello@exit89.org and let us know.

Our EXIT 89 Town Meeting Preview will be coming Monday, November 9, a week ahead of Town Meeting. If you're eager for a head start, the Warrant should be available online Friday, October 16 — the day it goes to the printer. Check the Town Meeting page of the Orleans Town website. That's where it will turn up.

Early Voting Starts Oct 17

As long as we're contemplating civic duty . . . the State Election is November 3, 7 AM to 8 PM, at Orleans Senior Center, 150 Rock Harbor Road. Early voting starts next weekend on Saturday, October 17, 9 AM to 1 PM, at Orleans Town Hall and continues at that location on October 19 - 23, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; Saturday, October 24, 9 AM to 5 PM; October 26 - 30, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. And here’s a sample ballot for you.

EXIT 89 is an independent publication. Our mission is to help Orleans voters make sense of town issues by providing a clear and impartial overview of the latest developments. We want to help fill the information gap, reduce the "mystery" of Town Meeting, and promote vibrant civic engagement.

Our hyperlocal digest is researched and written by journalists Martha Sherrill and Emily Miller. Elaine Baird and Lynn Bruneau are its founding advisors. Editing, infographics, and tech support are provided by Kazmira Nedeau of Sea Howl Bookshop. In the fall of 2025, Steve Gass joined our team to help with additional research and editing.

Our digest is 100 percent free — and we aim to keep it that way. But your donations keep us going. You can donate securely online by clicking here. Or you can send a check to "EXIT 89" and save us a processing fee. Our address is: EXIT 89, P.O. Box 1145, Orleans, MA 02653.

As always, we’d love to hear from you. Please share questions, comments, and ideas for future issues at hello@exit89.org.

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