So, You Want to Live in Osterville?

Creative Commons/ParkerJH

1. Pick Your Price Point

Prices are high in Osterville, one of Barnstable’s seven villages, but competition is low—the average house sells after 71 days on the market, and it’s rare for a home in the area to get multiple offers. The median sale price is a whopping $4.2 million, with two- and three-bedroom homes priced between $1 million and $2 million.

MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TOURISM / VINCE DEWITT

2. Plot Your Commute

Need to zip into Boston for some office face time in between patio Zoom calls? From Osterville, it’s just under a 90-minute drive to the city—though commuters can expect almost double that with summer and rush-hour traffic. If you’re planning to be a weekend-only resident and don’t want to brave the bridges, you can hop on the CapeFlyer train, which runs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in season and takes about two and a half hours from South Station to Hyannis.

Lauren Clough Photography

3. Take in the Vibe

Osterville’s population of 3,500 year-round residents surges come summer, but that doesn’t detract from its small-town New England charm. Along the idyllic main thoroughfare, you’ll find ice cream shops, home décor and clothing boutiques, and Fancy’s Market, a 176-year-old gourmet grocer. The verdant oasis is also home to some of the most exclusive members-only golf clubs on the Cape, like the Wianno Club and Oyster Harbors Club, which overlooks Cotuit Bay. Speaking of water, the town has two resident-only beaches—Dowses Beach and Joshua’s Pond.

/ MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TOURISM / GRETA GEORGIEVA

4. Check out the Culture

Nestled along Nantucket Sound, Osterville was founded in the 1600s as a seafarer’s town, home to shipbuilders, captains, and oyster farmers. Once named “Oysterville” due to the village’s abundant oyster beds, the area’s rich history can be explored through a self-guided tour starting at the Osterville Village Library. Or check out the Osterville Historical Museum, which showcases period decorative arts, furniture, and a dozen full-size wooden boats.

5. Scope out the Schools

Osterville is home to Cape Cod Academy, a private K–12 school on a 46-acre campus. While there is also a private Catholic elementary-middle school and the Cape Cod Collaborative school for higher-need students, most students who live in Osterville year round attend the nearby Barnstable Public Schools.