Complete Regional Transportation Plan 2012 - Cape Cod ...

1.7.3.1. HousingHousing is not only the most common land use on Cape Cod; it is also the one that isexperiencing the highest rate of growth. As population grows, so does the need for placesto live. In a region such as Cape Cod that tends heavily toward single-family detachedhousing, this population growth translates into an increase in the use of land forhousing. The housing density on the southern shore and the Buzzards Bay coastline isgreatest. Outer Cape development is denser in the town centers of Provincetown andEastham than the rest of the sub-region. Generally, lot sizes are largest on the Cape CodBay side of the Cape. Multifamily housing units are concentrated in areas, such asHyannis, downtown Wellfleet, and Dennisport. Other areas, such as Sandwich andBarnstable Village, are almost devoid of multifamily housing units. Falmouth, Yarmouth,Dennis, Chatham and parts of Barnstable are the "year-round core" of the Cape, wherethe population is still significant in the off-season. Meanwhile, Truro, Wellfleet,Eastham, and Brewster are far less densely populated, revealing the seasonal nature oftheir housing stock at present.Even though Census Bureau estimates have shown a decrease in Barnstable Countypopulation since the 2000 Census, housing units have been estimated to have increased.The following figure displays the estimated increase in housing units each year since2000.158,000156,000154,926155,556156,118Estimate Housing Units154,000152,000150,000148,000146,000147,489149,111150,472151,610152,584153,799144,000142,0002000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008FIGURE 10 - BARNSTABLE COUNTY HOUSING UNIT ESTIMATES 2000 - 2008(Source: U.S. Census)Chapter 1: Goals & Objectives Cape Cod Regional Transportation Plan | August 2011Page 44