Vulnerable Populations on Cape Cod
In Barnstable County, vulnerable populations include residents below the poverty level* (nearly 8%% of residents) and households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance or food stamps (over 9% of households). They also include residents in Environmental Justice Block Groups (EJBG), which are found in all but one of Barnstable County’s towns (please see the Environmental Justice Populations page for more information). Vulnerable populations in Barnstable County may be disproportionately impacted by factors including natural disasters/hazards, economic fluctuations, and climate change.
*The US Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as below the poverty level. A family and every resident in it is considered to be living in poverty if that family’s total income is less than the determined threshold for that family’s size and composition.
