Mashpee offers scenic seaside living in Cape Cod
The Cape Cod town of Mashpee sprawls across a seaside landscape as rich with history as it is with nature. It’s the homeland of the Wampanoag Tribe, who controlled the town government until the late 1960s. “They concentrated efforts in conservation, so now every other thing you drive by is a beautifully preserved area – bays and ponds everywhere,” says longtime local Clay Southworth, broker of the Southworth Group with Compass. “There are some developed clusters, like New Seabury and Willowbend, but for the most part, everything is widely spread out and peaceful.” Mashpee is home to just over 15,000, a figure that can double in the summertime thanks to its destination beaches.
Low taxes and a variety of homes in the Upper Cape
Among Cape Cod’s chief draws – sandy beaches and old-growth forests – is the invisible allure of low taxes. “Everyone loves the low taxes, and Mashpee is one of the lowest tax areas on the Cape,” Southworth says. “People moving from the suburbs in Boston always ask: ‘Do you mean per month or per year?’ In some cases, they’re saving $20,000 a year.” The median cost of homes in Mashpee is around $700,000. The community has a variety of homes, from waterfront condos and townhouses in planned subdivisions like Willowbend to secluded, HOA-free cottages and estates on an acre or more. Popular styles include vintage Cape Cods, single-sided cottages and Colonial Revivals. Coastal weather hazards include windstorms and hurricanes. Properties in special flood zones, such as waterfront homes, require flood insurance for federal backing.
The three schools of the Mashpee Public School District
The Mashpee Public School District serves just under 1,500 students across three schools. It earns an A-minus from Niche and is ranked No. 2 on the website’s list of Barnstable County’s best school districts. From prekindergarten to Grade 2, students attend Kenneth C. Coombs School, rated B-plus. Quashnet School, for Grades 3 through 6, is rated B. Mashpee Middle-High School earns an A-minus. Its department of Career and Technical Education has programs for manufacturing, culinary arts, health services and more.
Almost half of Mashpee is preserved natural land apt for recreation
Nearly 50% of Mashpee is protected land. Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge stretches across almost 6,000 acres and crosses into the nearby town of Falmouth. Its trails and fire roads guide hikers through biodiverse pine barrens and mossy white Cedar swamps. Visitors can fish on the Quashnet River, and more angling opportunities are close by in the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The reserve’s 2,700 acres are home to highlands, marshes, brackish waters and barrier beaches, the most popular being South Cape Beach State Park. Between May and September, the mile-long sandy stretch gets busy with out-of-towners and has a few more restrictions; however, in the off-season, residents enjoy a quiet, dog-friendly oceanfront, and they might just spot a bob of harbor seals soaking up the sun. The Club at New Seabury is also on the oceanfront with a private championship golf course, tennis center and more. Mashpee also has several community gardens and parks.
Mashpee’s extensive shopping and dining scene
Massachusetts Routes 151 and 28 are the main commercial corridors, home to three shopping plazas: Mashpee Commons, Mashpee Commons North Market and South Cape Villas. Together, they offer a blend of shopping and dining options, from upscale restaurants to mom-and-pop shops. Bleu is a popular French bistro with a contemporary menu curated by Chef Frederic Feufeu from the Loire Valley in France. Located in Mashpee Commons, it’s within walking distance of The Red Balloon Toy Shop, a family-owned staple since 1970, and established American retailers like Vineyard Vines, Pottery Barn, L.L. Bean and more. As for grabbing groceries, there are options like Stop & Shop and Roche Bros.
Public transportation options, the closest ER and the nearest airport
The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority operates seasonal and year-round bus routes. The Sealine Breeze line has stops at convenient plazas like the Community Health Center of Cape Cod and South Cape Village. That said, most residents get around Cape Cod by car. “There’s a huge crowd of seasonal residents, but the traffic jams aren’t really that back because you learn the backroads to avoid all that,” Southworth says. Massachusetts Route 28, locally known as Falmouth Road, runs along the community’s south side. Due east, it’s a direct line to the town of Barnstable, which has the closest hospital and airport. Cape Cod Hospital and Cape Cod Gateway Airport are roughly 12 miles away.
Written By
Micaela Willoughby
