At a glance
| Region | Lower Cape. It borders Brewster and Harwich to the west, Chatham across Pleasant Bay, and Eastham to the north. Cape Cod Bay is on the west and the Atlantic on the east. |
|---|---|
| Villages | Orleans (town center), East Orleans and South Orleans |
| Year-round population | 6,307 in the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate is 6,524 (U.S. Census QuickFacts). |
| Tax rate (residential) | FY2025: $6.24 per $1,000, a single rate for all classes (MMA community profile, DLS data). The Community Preservation Act surcharge is 3%. Confirm the FY2026 and FY2027 rates with Orleans Assessing. |
| Residential exemption | Not adopted as of the last reports. After a May 2025 town meeting petition, the Select Board discussed a residential exemption in fall 2025 without a vote (assessor's presentation). The assessor recommended against it for FY2027 and named FY2028 as the realistic target (Cape Cod Chronicle, Oct. 2025). Confirm current status with the Assessors. |
| Public water supplier(s) | Orleans Water Department. Some properties use private wells. |
| Sewer status | Partial and expanding. The downtown phase and the Meetinghouse Pond phase are built, with a treatment facility on Overland Way. More phases are planned. See Septic & Sewer. |
| Nitrogen / watershed permit | Part of the Pleasant Bay Watershed Permit. See our septic & sewer guide. |
| School district | Orleans for K–5 (DESE profile). Nauset Regional for grades 6–12 (DESE profile). |
| Town website | town.orleans.ma.us (also at orleansma.gov) |
Villages & areas
Orleans covers about 14 square miles of land. Route 6 ends its divided-highway section here, and Routes 6A and 28 meet in the town center. Town Cove reaches in from Nauset Harbor almost to downtown, and Pleasant Bay wraps around the south and east sides. The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs through the center.
Orleans center
Downtown along Main Street and Route 6A has the Lower Cape's largest cluster of supermarkets, hardware and retail, plus restaurants, banks and medical offices. Town Cove is at its edge. Housing in and near the center includes village homes, condos and some apartments over commercial space. The downtown is the first sewered area in town.
The bay side: Rock Harbor and Skaket
West of the center, Rock Harbor on Cape Cod Bay is home to a charter fishing fleet, and Skaket Beach is the town's bay beach, with wide flats at low tide. Housing here is mostly single-family homes on wooded or marsh-view lots.
East Orleans
East Orleans leads out to Nauset Beach on the Atlantic, the town's ocean beach on a long barrier spit. Nauset Harbor and its marshes border Eastham. Housing ranges from cottages near the beach to larger homes on the coves and the harbor.
South Orleans and Pleasant Bay
South Orleans faces Pleasant Bay and its coves, including Meetinghouse Pond, Arey's Pond, Lonnie's Pond, Paw Wah Pond and Little Pleasant Bay. Freshwater Crystal Lake and Pilgrim Lake are nearby. Housing includes bay-front homes, homes on the coves and wooded neighborhoods. Several of these coves are in current or planned sewer phases.
Septic & Sewer
Outside the sewered areas, Orleans homes are on septic, so expect a Title 5 inspection on most sales. The town's sewer program is moving in phases:
- Downtown (Phase 1): Construction began in 2023. The connection deadline was pushed back once, to March 2025 (Cape Cod Chronicle, July 2024).
- Meetinghouse Pond (Phase 2): About 400 properties. In August 2025 the town said construction would be substantially complete by December 2025. Board of Health notices were expected in January 2026, with connections due by January 2027 (Cape Cod Chronicle, Aug. 2025).
- Phase 3: As proposed in early 2025, this phase covers about 237 properties around Arey's Pond, Lonnie's Pond, Crystal Lake and Pilgrim Lake, with an estimated construction cost just under $40 million. The plan was to go to bid in April 2026 and finish in late 2028 if voters approved funding (Cape Cod Chronicle, Jan. 2025). Confirm current status with the town.
- Costs: For Phase 2, the town estimated typical single-family private connection costs of roughly $10,000 to $20,000, more if a grinder pump is needed. Sewer betterments will be based on past water use and can't be set until final construction costs are known. The town expected to hold a betterment meeting around summer 2027.
- Help: Barnstable County's AquiFund offers low-interest loans for owner-occupied primary homes. The town has also announced a sewer grant program. A state Title 5 tax credit may apply to some primary residences; ask your tax advisor.
Before you buy in or near a sewer phase, ask whether the property is connected, whether a connection notice has been issued, and whether a betterment is expected. Your attorney can address who pays a future betterment in the purchase and sale agreement. Our septic, sewer & nitrogen guide covers the regional rules.
Water, Flood & Environment
Water: The Orleans Water Department supplies most homes from groundwater wells. Read its annual water quality reports for PFAS and other results. Test any private well during your inspection period. See our water & flood guide.
Flood and erosion: Nauset Beach is a moving barrier beach, and the Atlantic side sees significant erosion. Low areas around Town Cove, Nauset Harbor, Rock Harbor and the Pleasant Bay coves are in FEMA flood zones. Check any address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and get a flood insurance quote early.
Conservation: Pleasant Bay is a state Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Work near wetlands, ponds or the coast usually needs Conservation Commission review. See the town's Environmental and Conservation pages.
Living here
- Beaches and stickers: The town's Sticker Office handles resident beach parking and transfer station stickers. Nauset and Skaket are the main beaches.
- Trash: The Transfer Station requires a sticker. Private haulers are also available.
- Harbors and moorings: The Harbormaster manages moorings and landings at Rock Harbor, Town Cove, Nauset Harbor and Pleasant Bay. A waterfront home does not come with a mooring, so ask about waitlists. Shellfish permits are also issued by the town.
- Getting around: Routes 6, 6A and 28 meet here. The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs through town. CCRTA runs bus service on the Lower Cape and Outer Cape.
- Healthcare: Orleans has medical offices and urgent care. The nearest full-service hospital is Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis.
- Short-term rentals: Check with the town for any local rules, and ask your attorney about state short-term rental registration and tax requirements.
Official links
- Town of OrleansMain town website · Town of Orleans
- AssessingTax rate, exemptions, property values · Town of Orleans
- Staff directoryConfirm with town: Health, Building, Harbormaster, Town Clerk, Veterans' Services · Town of Orleans
- Sewer property owner's guidebookHow downtown connections work · Town of Orleans
- Water quality reportsAnnual Consumer Confidence Reports · Orleans Water Department
- Environmental and ConservationWetlands and coastal permitting · Town of Orleans
- Sticker OfficeBeach and transfer station stickers · Town of Orleans
- Transfer StationHours and rules · Town of Orleans
- Pleasant Bay Watershed PermitShared nitrogen permit with Brewster, Chatham and Harwich · Pleasant Bay Alliance
- Orleans community profileGovernment form, area, tax data · Massachusetts Municipal Association
Questions about buying in Orleans?
Call or text Sherman at 508-534-3425 or send a message.