At a glance
| Region | Lower Cape, at the elbow. It borders Harwich on the west and Orleans across Pleasant Bay. |
|---|---|
| Villages | Chatham Village (downtown), West Chatham, South Chatham, North Chatham and Chathamport, plus areas such as Stage Harbor, Riverbay, Cockle Cove and Morris Island |
| Year-round population | 6,594 in the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate is 6,752 (U.S. Census QuickFacts). |
| Tax rate (residential) | FY2026: $3.67 per $1,000 (Cape Cod Chronicle, July 2026). For FY2027 the town estimated $3.64 with the residential exemption (it would have been about $3.52 without it). That figure was pending state approval when reported (Cape Cod Chronicle, Sept. 2026), so confirm the certified FY2027 rate with the Assessors. |
| Residential exemption | Yes On September 1, 2026, the Select Board voted 4–1 to adopt a 20% residential exemption for FY2027. It applies to an owner's primary residence as of January 1. Second homes, rentals, and homes held by LLCs or corporations don't qualify. A home in a trust qualifies only if the resident is both trustee and beneficiary. Applications are due April 1, and the board votes on it every year. Details: exemption explained, board vote. |
| Public water supplier(s) | Chatham DPW Water & Sewer Division. Some properties use private wells. |
| Sewer status | Partial and expanding. Town sewer started downtown in the 1960s, and the system had about 1,360 accounts as of January 2026. Phased expansion continues. See Septic & Sewer. |
| Nitrogen / watershed permit | Part of the Pleasant Bay Watershed Permit. MassDEP's 2026 table lists Notices of Intent for Taylors Pond/Mill Creek, Sulphur Springs/Bucks Creek and Stage Harbor. See our septic & sewer guide. |
| School district | Monomoy Regional, shared with Harwich (DESE district profile) |
| Town website | chatham-ma.gov |
A residential exemption shifts more of the tax bill to properties that aren't year-round homes. If you're buying a second home or a rental in Chatham, your bill will run higher than the published rate times your assessment would suggest. If you're moving here full time, you may qualify for the exemption. Ask the Assessors how it would apply to a specific property, and read our relocating guide for background.
Villages & areas
Chatham covers about 16 square miles of land. Route 28 enters from Harwich, runs through West Chatham and downtown, then turns north toward Orleans along Pleasant Bay. Route 137 connects to East Harwich and Route 6. Much of the shoreline is protected by barrier beaches that shift with storms.
Chatham Village (downtown)
Main Street has shops, restaurants, inns and the town offices. Nearby are Chatham Light and Lighthouse Beach, the Chatham Fish Pier on Aunt Lydia's Cove, and Oyster Pond beach. Housing includes antique and shingle-style homes, village cottages and some condos. Downtown is where the original sewer system is, so many in-town homes are already connected.
Stage Harbor, Morris Island and Monomoy
South of downtown, Stage Harbor is a sheltered harbor with town landings and boatyards. Morris Island leads to the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. Harding's Beach is on the Sound to the west. Housing is mostly single-family homes, many with water views or water frontage.
West Chatham and South Chatham
These villages run along Route 28 toward Harwich, with small commercial areas, Cockle Cove and Ridgevale beaches on the Sound, and salt ponds and creeks such as Taylors Pond, Mill Creek and Bucks Creek. Housing ranges from ranches and Capes to beach cottages and waterfront homes.
North Chatham and Chathamport
The northern villages face Pleasant Bay and Chatham Harbor, with coves such as Ryder's Cove, Crows Pond and Muddy Creek. Housing includes bay-front homes, mid-century neighborhoods and larger wooded lots.
Septic & Sewer
Chatham has spent years expanding sewer under its wastewater plan, and the town's Board of Health issues connection orders as new areas come online. Outside sewered areas, expect a Title 5 inspection.
- Scale: As of January 2026, the Board of Health had issued 823 connection orders, with 473 completed. About 187 more orders were planned for early 2026 (Cape Cod Chronicle, Jan. 2026).
- Deadline after an order: The same article reports that owners have one year to connect after an order. The Board of Health can defer for exceptional hardship, and violations can bring fines of $200 a day. An earlier article described a two-year window, so confirm the rule for your street with the Health Division.
- Next phases: The wastewater plan calls for about 4,500 parcels in Phase 1 and 2,300 in Phase 2. Upcoming work includes neighborhoods off Route 28 in West and South Chatham, Barn Hill/Oyster River, and the Pleasant Bay and Muddy Creek areas (Cape Cod Chronicle, Feb. 2025).
- Grinder pumps: Some low-lying lots need a grinder pump to push wastewater to the street. The town agreed to pay for the pumps, and connection deadlines for those properties were deferred while reimbursement rules were finalized.
- Help with costs: Private connection work can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The town created a connection grant fund, and Barnstable County's AquiFund offers low-interest loans for owner-occupied primary homes.
Before you buy, ask the seller and the Health Division whether the property is connected, whether an order has been issued, and whether a grinder pump is needed. Have your attorney address any open order in the purchase and sale agreement. Chatham's plant also treats wastewater from East Harwich. Our septic, sewer & nitrogen guide covers the regional rules.
Water, Flood & Environment
Water: The town's Water Division supplies most of Chatham from groundwater wells and posts monthly drinking water testing updates. As of September 2025, a permanent treatment facility with greensand and granular activated carbon filters was being built for the Training Field wells (5 and 8), which had not pumped that year (September 2025 update). Read the latest annual water quality report for PFAS results, and test any private well. See our water & flood guide.
Flood and erosion: Chatham's outer barrier beaches move, and storms have opened new inlets that change wave exposure inside the harbor and Pleasant Bay. Low areas around Stage Harbor, the Sound shore, Chatham Harbor and Pleasant Bay are in FEMA flood zones. Check any address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, get a flood insurance quote early, and ask about coastal erosion history for bluff or waterfront lots.
Conservation: Pleasant Bay is a state Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and Monomoy is a federal wildlife refuge. Work near wetlands or the coast usually needs Conservation Commission review.
Living here
- Beaches and stickers: The town's Sticker Office handles resident beach and transfer station stickers. The 2026–27 combined application is posted there.
- Trash: The town transfer station requires a sticker. Some neighborhoods use private haulers.
- Harbors and moorings: The Harbormaster Division manages moorings and landings in Stage Harbor, Chatham Harbor, Pleasant Bay and other waters. A waterfront home does not come with a mooring, so ask about waitlists.
- Getting around: Routes 28 and 137 connect to Route 6. The Cape Cod Rail Trail has a branch into Chatham. CCRTA runs bus service on the Lower Cape. Chatham Municipal Airport serves small aircraft.
- Healthcare: The nearest full-service hospital is Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. Medical offices and urgent care are on the Lower Cape.
- Short-term rentals: Chatham's Board of Health has a short-term rental regulation that requires a registration certificate, and the town has been enforcing it and raising fees. If you're counting on rental income, read the current rules and ask your attorney about state registration and tax requirements.
Official links
- Town of ChathamMain town website · Town of Chatham
- Staff directoryConfirm with town: Assessors, Building, Conservation, Town Clerk, Veterans' Services · Town of Chatham
- Water & Sewer DivisionWater service, sewer connections · Chatham DPW
- Drinking water testing updatesMonthly testing and treatment status · Chatham DPW
- Health & Natural ResourcesSeptic records, shellfish, coastal resources · Town of Chatham
- Harbormaster DivisionMoorings, landings · Town of Chatham
- Sticker OfficeBeach and transfer station stickers · Town of Chatham
- Short-term rental regulationRegistration requirements · Chatham Board of Health
- Pleasant Bay Watershed PermitShared nitrogen permit with Brewster, Harwich and Orleans · Pleasant Bay Alliance
Questions about buying in Chatham?
Call or text Sherman at 508-534-3425 or send a message.