Homeowner Surveys

The Cape Cod Commission periodically surveys the second homeowner population on Cape Cod to understand how second homes are used, how they might be used in the future, and how second homeowners participate in the local economy. Second homeowner surveys were conducted by the Cape Cod Commission and the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (UMDI) in 2008, 2017, and 2021. Additionally, in 2021, the Cape Cod Commission contracted with UMDI and the Center for Public Opinion at UMass Lowell to conduct a survey of new homeowners, “people who had purchased a home in the region between April 2020 and mid-May 2021,” to better understand the way the pandemic was influencing home purchases in the region. These surveys provide important baseline information for the changes and activity in the region during the pandemic. They will be useful in understanding which trends persist and which were short-lived as work and living patterns stabilize in the wake of the pandemic.


2021 Second Homeowner Survey 

In 2021, the Cape Cod Commission contracted with the Donahue Institute at UMass Amherst and the Center for Public Opinion at UMass Lowell on 2021 Cape Cod Second Homeowner Survey. The survey builds off of previous second homeowner surveys and also looks to better understand potential COVID-19 pandemic impacts on use of the region’s second homes.

This survey shows that Cape Cod remains a destination for retirees and individuals looking for open space, access to the coast, and outdoor recreation. The pandemic has impacted many second homeowners use of their Cape properties, with many second homeowners spending more time at their Cape houses during the pandemic.

For more information, including the reports, please visit https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/second-homeowner-survey/.

2021 New Homeowner Survey

The Cape Cod Commission contracted with the Donahue Institute at UMass Amherst and the Center for Public Opinion at UMass Lowell to survey people who had purchased a home in the region between April 2020 and mid-May 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping the way people are living and working, and having profound effects on the local real estate market.

The survey was designed to better understand homeowners decisions to purchase a home on the Cape during the pandemic, as well as near- and long-term plans for the use of their newly purchased home. It found that 35% of new homeowners decisions to buy a house on the Cape was influenced by the pandemic. With the ability to work remotely, an increased desire to live near outdoor recreation opportunities, and the desire to have more living space being common factors in their decision to purchase a home in the region.

For more information, including the report, please visit https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/new-homeowner-survey/