Buzzards Bay, MA · standard
ZIP Code 02542
Barnstable County, Massachusetts - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,139
- 14/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $62,083
- Median income Near-median income area
- 42.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Buzzards Bay pairs a below-median household income, in a rural, renter-heavy area.
- 33rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 14
- people per sq mi
- 0%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02542 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 02542 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Buzzards Bay, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, home to just 1,139 residents across 79.7 square miles, a density of 14 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 02542 reports a modest median household income of $62,083 (46% below the average Massachusetts ZIP), while per-capita income is $25,873. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 0.8% and unemployment is 0.9%. The ACS does not report a median home value for this ZIP, so housing cost context is limited to the available tenure and rent fields.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 42.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Barnstable County, so 02542 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 02542, Buzzards Bay, MA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,139
Population
79.7
Area (sq mi)
14
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 02542?
30.1
Median Age
49.8%
Male
50.2%
Female
17.3%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$62,083
Median Household Income
-46% vs state ZIP avg
$25,873
Per Capita Income
0.8%
Poverty Rate
0.9%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 02542 ranks among Massachusetts ZIPs
Buzzards Bay, MA household income vs. every Massachusetts ZIP code
Median household income among 505 reporting Massachusetts ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$62,083 7th percentile higher than 7% of 505 Massachusetts ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Massachusetts ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
380housing units
380
Total Housing Units
264
Occupied Units
116
Vacant Units
2.78
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$2,094
Median Rent
1956
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 8 business establishments in ZIP 02542, employing approximately 27 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,652,000.
8
Businesses
27
Employees
$3.7M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 50.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 02542 vs 02644 →
ZIP 02542 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 02536
East Falmouth (02536)
19,583 residents
- 02532
Buzzards Bay (02532)
12,690 residents
- 02563
Sandwich (02563)
10,359 residents
- 02537 6,293
East Sandwich (02537)
6,293 residents
- 02644 3,955
Forestdale (02644)
3,955 residents
- 02559 3,376
Pocasset (02559)
3,376 residents
- 02562 2,977
Sagamore Beach (02562)
2,977 residents
- 02542 1,139
Buzzards Bay (02542)
1,139 residents
- 02534 842
Cataumet (02534)
842 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 02542 ranks #8 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 02542 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 02534
Cataumet (02534)
$137,066 median income
- 02537
East Sandwich (02537)
$136,506 median income
- 02563
Sandwich (02563)
$121,455 median income
- 02562
Sagamore Beach (02562)
$120,000 median income
- 02644
Forestdale (02644)
$108,158 median income
- 02536
East Falmouth (02536)
$100,497 median income
- 02559
Pocasset (02559)
$90,855 median income
- 02532
Buzzards Bay (02532)
$87,773 median income
- 02542
Buzzards Bay (02542)
$62,083 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 02542 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02644 | Forestdale, MA | 3,955 | 2.3 mi |
| 02559 | Pocasset, MA | 3,376 | 3.6 mi |
| 02561 | Sagamore, MA | 539 | 4.6 mi |
| 02553 | Monument Beach, MA | 226 | 3.8 mi |
| 02563 | Sandwich, MA | 10,359 | 3.7 mi |
| 02532 | Buzzards Bay, MA | 12,690 | 4.3 mi |
| 02562 | Sagamore Beach, MA | 2,977 | 5.9 mi |
| 02534 | Cataumet, MA | 842 | 4.5 mi |
| 02536 | East Falmouth, MA | 19,583 | 7.4 mi |
| 02537 | East Sandwich, MA | 6,293 | 5.8 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 02542, both outside MA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,139 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Barnstable County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 02542 in?
ZIP code 02542 (Buzzards Bay) is located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Barnstable County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/barnstable-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 02542?
ZIP code 02542 in Buzzards Bay, MA has a population of 1,139 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02542?
The median household income in ZIP 02542 is $62,083, which is 19% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02542?
The largest racial group in ZIP 02542 is White at 89.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02542?
ZIP code 02542 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 27 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 02542?
In ZIP code 02542, 59.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 42.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02542?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02542 is 0.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 02542's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 02542 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Buzzards Bay, MA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.