Editing Mashpee, Massachusetts

{{For|other places with the same name|Mashpee (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Mashpee, Massachusetts
| motto                    =
| image_skyline            = Mashpee MA Town Hall.jpg
| imagesize                =
| image_caption            = Mashpee Town Hall
| image_seal               = Seal of Mashpee, Massachusetts.png
| image_flag               = Flag of Mashpee, Massachusetts.png
| image_map                = Barnstable County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Mashpee highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 260px
| map_caption              = Location in [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable County]] and the state of [[Massachusetts]].
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Massachusetts]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable]]
| established_title        = Settled
| established_date         = 1660
| established_title2       = Incorporated
| established_date2        = May 28, 1870
| established_title3       =
| established_date3        =
| government_type          = [[Open town meeting]]
| leader_title             = <!--[[Town Administrator|Town<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Administrator]]-->
| leader_name              =
| leader_title1            = <!--Board of <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Selectmen-->
| leader_name1             =
| area_magnitude           =
| area_total_km2           = 70.5
| area_total_sq_mi         = 
| area_land_km2            = 60.6
| area_land_sq_mi          = 
| area_water_km2           = 9.9
| area_water_sq_mi         = 
| population_as_of         = 2020
| settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
| population_total         = 15060
| population_density_km2   = 248.5
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| elevation_m              = 17
| elevation_ft             = 55
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset               = −5
| timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST           = −4
| coordinates              = {{coord|41|38|54|N|70|28|54|W|region:US-MA_type:city(14006)|display=inline,title}}
| website                  = {{URL|www.mashpeema.gov}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code              = 02649
| area_code                = [[Area code 508|508]]/[[Area code 774|774]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 25-39100
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 0618256
| footnotes                =
}}

'''Mashpee''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|æ|ʃ|p|i}} {{langx|wam|Mâseepee}}<ref>Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project - "Fun with words" [https://www.wlrp.org/fun-with-words https://www.wlrp.org/fun-with-words]</ref>) is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable County]], [[Massachusetts]], United States, on [[Cape Cod]]. The population was 15,060 as of 2020.<ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2500139100| title=Census - Geography Profile: Mashpee town, Barnstable County, Massachusetts| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref> The town is the site of the headquarters and most members of the [[Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe]], one of two federally recognized Wampanoag groups.

== History ==
{{Moreinline|section|date=May 2024}}

=== Pre-colonial ===
[[File:Avant House.jpg|thumb|left|Avant House of the [[Wampanoag people]] of Mashpee, Massachusetts.]]
[[Cape Cod]] was occupied for more than ten thousand years by [[indigenous peoples]]. The historic [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking [[Wampanoag]] were the native people encountered by the English [[settler|colonists]] here and in the area of the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in the seventeenth century. The Wampanoag also controlled considerable coastal area. These two cultures would interact, shaping each other for decades.

=== 17th century ===
After English colonists arrived, they began to settle the area of present-day Mashpee in 1658 with the assistance of the [[missionary]] Richard Bourne, from the neighboring town of [[Sandwich, Massachusetts|Sandwich]]. In 1660 the colonists allowed those Christian Wampanoag who had been converted about {{convert|50|sqmi|km2}} in the English settlement. Beginning in 1665, the Wampanoag governed themselves with a court of law and trials according to English custom (they had long governed themselves according to their own customs).

[[File:Old Indian Meetinghouse.jpg|thumb|left|The "[[Old Indian Meeting House]]", built in 1684 at Mashpee, is the oldest Native American church in the United States.]]
Following their defeat in [[King Philip's War]] (1675–1676), the Wampanoag of the mainland were resettled with the [[Sakonnet]] in present-day [[Rhode Island]]. Others of the people were brought, together with the [[Nauset]], into the [[praying town]]s, such as Mashpee, in [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable County]]. There were also Wampanoag on Martha's Vineyard and other areas.

The colonists designated Mashpee on Cape Cod as the largest [[Indian reservation]] in Massachusetts. The town's name is an Anglicization of a native name, ''mass-nippe'': ''mass'' is "great", or "greater" (see ''Massa''chusetts), and ''nippe'' is "water". The name has been translated as "the greater cove" or "great pond," or "land near great cove", where the water being referenced is [[Wakeby Pond]], which is greater at one end.

=== 18th century ===
In the year 1763, the British Crown designated Mashpee as a [[Plantation (settlement or colony)|plantation]], against the will of the Wampanoag. Designation as a plantation meant that the area governed by the Mashpee Wampanoag was integrated into the colonial district of Mashpee. The colony gave the natives the "right" to elect their own officials to maintain order in their area, but otherwise subjected them to colonial government. The population of the plantation declined steadily due to the conditions placed upon the Wampanoag. They also suffered from encroachment on their lands by the English.

Following the [[American Revolutionary War]], the town in 1788 revoked Mashpee self-government, which European-American officials considered a failure. They appointed a committee, consisting of five European-American members, to supervise the Mashpee. [[William Apess]], a [[Pequot]] [[Methodist]] preacher, helped the Mashpee Wampanoag lead a peaceful protest of this action, and the governor threatened a military response.

=== 19th century ===
In 1834, the state returned a certain level of self-government to the Wampanoag, although they were not completely autonomous. With the idea that emulating European-American farming would encourage assimilation, in 1842 the state broke up some of the Wampanoag communal land. It distributed {{convert|2000|acre|km2}} of their {{convert|13000|acre|km2|adj=on}} property in allotments of {{convert|60|acre|m2|adj=on}} parcels to heads of households, so that each family could have individual ownership for subsistence farming.

The legislature passed laws against the encroachments on Wampanoag land by European Americans, but did not enforce them. The competing settlers also stole wood from the reservation. It was a large region, once rich in wood, fish and game, and desired by white settlers, who envied the growing community of Mashpee. The Mashpee Indians suffered more conflicts with their white neighbors than did other more isolated or less desirable Indian settlements in the state.<ref name="HNAIff">''Handbook of North American Indians.'' Chapter: "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island, late period," p. 178ff; [http://mashpeewampanoagtribe.com/ Mashpee Wampanoag Nation webpage]; [http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/index Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah webpage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017182108/http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/index |date=October 17, 2016 }}</ref>

In 1870 the state approved the incorporation of Mashpee as a [[town]], the second-to-last jurisdiction on the Cape to undergo the process. Ultimately the Wampanoag lost control of their land and self-government. Many of their descendants remain in the area and identify as Mashpee by their communal culture.

=== 20th century ===
In the early 1970s, the Mashpee reorganized and filed a land claim against the state for the loss of lands. While they ultimately did not win their case, the Mashpee continued to develop as an organized community and gained federal recognition as a tribe in 2007.

=== 21st century ===
Today the town of Mashpee is known both for tourist recreation and for its distinctive minority Wampanoag culture. The population is predominately European American in ancestry. As the town attracts numerous summer visitors, there are many seasonal businesses and service jobs to support this tourism.

The [[Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe]] has its headquarters here. In 2015 the Department of Interior evaluated taking into trust {{convert|170|acres|km2}} in Mashpee as a reservation for the Wampanoag, who already controlled the land, however in 2018 the request was ultimately rejected.<ref name="Winokoor">{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldnews.com/news/20180908/latest-mashpee-wampanoag-land-in-trust-decision-elicits-joy-and-dismay|title=Latest Mashpee Wampanoag land-in-trust decision elicits joy and dismay|last=Winokoor|first=Charles|website=The Herald News, Fall River, MA|language=en|access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref> This decision also applied to the {{convert|150|acres|km2}} in Taunton, Massachusetts, which the Wampanoag tribe had acquired.<ref name="horridge">[https://www.casino.org/news/massachusetts-casino-possible-for-mashpee-wampanoag-tribe Kevin Horridge, "Surprise Massachusetts Casino Could Result from New Mashpee Wampanoag Land Grant"], ''Casino.org, September 21, 2015; accessed January 19, 2017</ref><ref name="Winokoor"/>

That action was challenged in October 2016 by a United States District Court decision, reached after a suit was filed earlier that year by opponents to Mashpee Wampanoag's plans to build a gaming casino on their Taunton land.<ref name="murphy">[https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/07/11/taunton-casino-foes-get-their-day-court/WS3JQIR8GAuMKlYBfljJJP/story.html Sean P. Murphy, "Judge promises quick decision on challenge to Taunton casino"], ''Boston Globe,'' July 11, 2016; accessed January 18, 2017</ref><ref name="horridge"/>

The Wampanoag hold an annual [[pow-wow]] at which they display both modern and traditional activities and crafts.<ref>''Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Street Atlas'', South Easton, MA: Arrow Maps, Inc., 2004, p. 61.</ref>

== Geography ==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Mashpee has a total area of {{convert|70.5|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|60.6|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|9.9|km2|order=flip}}, or 14.10%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2500139100| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212145814/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2500139100| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Mashpee town, Barnstable County, Massachusetts| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref>

Mashpee is on the "upper," or western, portion of [[Cape Cod]]. It is bounded by [[Sandwich, Massachusetts|Sandwich]] to the north and northwest, [[Barnstable, Massachusetts|Barnstable]] to the east, [[Nantucket Sound]] to the south, and [[Falmouth, Massachusetts|Falmouth]] to the west. It is approximately {{convert|65|mi}} south-southeast of [[Boston]] and {{convert|70|mi}} east-southeast of [[Providence, Rhode Island]].

Like all towns on the Cape, Mashpee's topography is that of sandy soil, small ponds and inlets, surrounded by the pines and oaks indigenous to the area. The town's shoreline is framed by [[Waquoit Bay]] to the west and [[Popponesset Bay]] to the east, with several rivers, brooks and small ponds in the area. The town contains [[South Cape Beach State Park]] along Dead Neck and Waquoit Bay, and the Lowell Holly Reservation, comprising the land between Wakeby and Mashpee Ponds.

Mashpee also borders a small area of [[Otis Air National Guard Base]], [[Joint Base Cape Cod]], and [[Camp Edwards]] in the northwest portion of the town.

=== Climate ===
According to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, Mashpee, Massachusetts has a warm-summer, wet year round, [[humid continental climate]] (''Dfb''). Dfb climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0&nbsp;°F (≤ 0.0&nbsp;°C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0&nbsp;°F (≥ 10.0&nbsp;°C), all months with an average mean temperature ≤ 71.6&nbsp;°F (≤ 22.0&nbsp;°C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. The average seasonal (Nov–Apr) snowfall total is approximately 30 inches (76&nbsp;cm). The average snowiest month is February, which corresponds with the annual peak in [[nor'easter]] activity. According to the [[United States Department of Agriculture]], the [[plant hardiness zone]] is 7a, with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 0.9&nbsp;°F (−17.3&nbsp;°C).<ref name="USDA">{{cite web|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx|publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]]|access-date=June 28, 2019|title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map}}</ref>

{{Weather box |width=auto	
|location = Mashpee, Barnstable County, Massachusetts (1981–2010 averages)	
|single line = Y	
|Jan high F =	37.8
|Feb high F =	39.6
|Mar high F =	45.1
|Apr high F =	54.0
|May high F =	63.4
|Jun high F =	72.9
|Jul high F =	78.7
|Aug high F =	78.0
|Sep high F =	71.8
|Oct high F =	61.9
|Nov high F =	53.1
|Dec high F =	43.4
|year high F=	58.4
| Jan mean F =	30.1
| Feb mean F =	31.8
| Mar mean F =	37.5
| Apr mean F =	46.2
| May mean F =	55.5
| Jun mean F =	65.2
| Jul mean F =	71.3
| Aug mean F =	70.7
| Sep mean F =	64.0
| Oct mean F =	53.9
| Nov mean F =	45.4
| Dec mean F =	35.8
| year mean F =	50.7
|Jan low F =	22.4
|Feb low F =	24.1
|Mar low F =	29.9
|Apr low F =	38.4
|May low F =	47.6
|Jun low F =	57.6
|Jul low F =	63.9
|Aug low F =	63.3
|Sep low F =	56.2
|Oct low F =	45.9
|Nov low F =	37.7
|Dec low F =	28.2
|year low F=	43.0
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation inch =	4.03
|Feb precipitation inch =	3.38
|Mar precipitation inch =	5.17
|Apr precipitation inch =	4.46
|May precipitation inch =	3.44
|Jun precipitation inch =	3.95
|Jul precipitation inch =	3.41
|Aug precipitation inch =	3.82
|Sep precipitation inch =	3.88
|Oct precipitation inch =	4.23
|Nov precipitation inch =	4.40
|Dec precipitation inch =	4.58
|year precipitation inch=	48.75
| humidity colour = green	
| Jan humidity =	68.5
| Feb humidity =	68.5
| Mar humidity =	66.9
| Apr humidity =	66.6
| May humidity =	70.3
| Jun humidity =	73.5
| Jul humidity =	74.8
| Aug humidity =	75.0
| Sep humidity =	75.0
| Oct humidity =	72.3
| Nov humidity =	69.5
| Dec humidity =	69.8
| year humidity =	70.9
| Jan dew point F = 21.0
| Feb dew point F = 22.6
| Mar dew point F = 27.5
| Apr dew point F = 35.7
| May dew point F = 46.0
| Jun dew point F = 56.5
| Jul dew point F = 62.9
| Aug dew point F = 62.4
| Sep dew point F = 55.9
| Oct dew point F = 45.2
| Nov dew point F = 36.0
| Dec dew point F = 26.9
| year dew point F = 41.6
|source 1 = PRISM Climate Group<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/|title=PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State U|website=www.prism.oregonstate.edu|access-date=June 26, 2019}}</ref>}}

=== Ecology ===
According to the [[A. W. Kuchler]] U.S. [[Potential natural vegetation]] Types, Mashpee, Massachusetts would primarily contain a Northeastern [[Oak]]/[[Pine]] (''110'') vegetation type with a Southern [[Mixed Forest]] (''26'') vegetation form.<ref name="Conservation Biology Institute">{{cite web|url=https://databasin.org/datasets/1c7a301c8e6843f2b4fe63fdb3a9fe39|publisher=[[Data Basin]]|access-date=July 30, 2019|title=U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)}}</ref>

=== Neighborhoods ===
[[File:Monomoscoy Island, Mashpee MA.jpg|thumb|Monomoscoy Island in 2012]]
Parts of Mashpee include:

* [[Mashpee Neck, Massachusetts|Mashpee Neck]]
* [[Monomoscoy Island, Massachusetts|Monomoscoy Island]]
* [[New Seabury, Massachusetts|New Seabury]]
* [[Popponesset, Massachusetts|Popponesset]]
* [[Popponesset Island, Massachusetts|Popponesset Island]]
* [[Seabrook, Massachusetts|Seabrook]]
* [[Seconsett Island, Massachusetts|Seconsett Island]].

=== Transportation ===
Major roads include [[Massachusetts Route 28]], [[Massachusetts Route 130]] and [[Massachusetts Route 151]]; none of these is a freeway. Route 28, along with [[U.S. Route 6 in Massachusetts|U.S. Route 6]] to the north, comprise the main east-west routes along the Cape. Route 130's southern terminus lies just outside the town limits in [[Santuit Historic District|Santuit]], a village in the town of Barnstable. Route 151's eastern terminus is within the town of Mashpee; both these roads end at Route 28, {{convert|2.5|mi}} apart.

The Town of Mashpee is the only one on Cape Cod that never had a railroad constructed to it. According to ''2.5. Rail Transportation,'' [[Joint Base Cape Cod]] has a railroad track extending into the town.

The nearest airports ([[Cape Cod Airfield]], an airstrip for small planes, and [[Barnstable Municipal Airport]], the largest airport on the Cape), can be found in the neighboring Town of Barnstable. The nearest national and international air service can be reached at [[Logan International Airport]] in Boston, or at [[T. F. Green Airport]] in [[Warwick, Rhode Island]].

The [[Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority]] serves Mashpee. The Sealine bus route stops at South Cape Village and [[Mashpee Commons]], in addition to other flag stops. It is also serviced by the ADA on-call services of CCRTA (DART).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority - Sealine|url=https://www.capecodtransit.org/sealine-route.htm?CFID=26815164&CFTOKEN=308860e641ba4148-57EF38F7-9AD3-A5F4-7D8AC40B3C72A5D2|access-date=July 28, 2021|website=www.capecodtransit.org}}</ref>

=== Historic and protected sites<span class="anchor" id="Historic and protected sites in Mashpee"></span> ===
[[File:One Room Schoolhouse, Mashpee MA.jpg|thumb|Mashpee One Room Schoolhouse]]
*[[Old Indian Meeting House]], built in 1684
*Mashpee One Room Schoolhouse, built in 1831 – open for public tours June through October
*[[Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge]], established in 1995, consisting of salt marshes, cranberry bogs, white cedar swamps, and expansive forests. Also home to populations of New England Cottontail rabbits, white-tailed deer, red fox, red-tailed hawks, waterfowl, shorebirds, and bald eagles.
*Quashnet Conservation Area, large woodlands/wildlife conservation area directly south and adjacent to [[Otis Air National Guard Base]] and [[Camp Edwards]]. It is the largest tract of undeveloped forest/woodland area on Cape Cod.

== Demographics ==
{{See also|List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income}}
{{Historical populations | type=USA
 | 1870|348
 | 1880|346
 | 1890|298
 | 1900|303
 | 1910|270
 | 1920|242
 | 1930|361
 | 1940|434
 | 1950|438
 | 1960|867
 | 1970|1288
 | 1980|3700
 | 1990|7884
 | 2000|12946
 | 2010|14006
 | 2020|15060
 | 2023*|15396
 | footnote=* = population estimate.  Source: [[United States Census]] records and [[Population Estimates Program]] data.<ref name="2010_Census">{{cite web | title=TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts | publisher=United States Census Bureau | access-date=September 13, 2011 | url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212202839/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000 | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 12, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="2000-2009_PopulationEstimates">{{cite web|title=Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision – GCT-T1. Population Estimates |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 12, 2011 |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103061111/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on |archive-date=November 3, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="1990_Census">{{cite web | title=1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts | id=1990 CP-1-23 | at=Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990 | publisher=US Census Bureau | access-date=July 12, 2011 | date=December 1990 | url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207032409/http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf | archive-date=December 7, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="1980_Census">{{cite web | title=1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts | id=PC80-1-A23 | at=Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980 | publisher=US Census Bureau | access-date=July 12, 2011 |date=December 1981 | url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf}}</ref><ref name="1950_Census">{{cite journal | title=1950 Census of Population | volume=1: Number of Inhabitants | at=Section 6, Pages 21–10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950 | publisher=Bureau of the Census | access-date=July 12, 2011 | year=1952 | url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf}}</ref><ref name="1920_Census">{{cite web | title=1920 Census of Population | at=Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21–5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920 | publisher=Bureau of the Census | access-date=July 12, 2011 | url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf}}</ref><ref name="1890_Census">{{cite web | title=1890 Census of the Population | at=Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890 | publisher=Department of the Interior, Census Office | access-date=July 12, 2011 | url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf}}</ref><ref name="1870_Census">{{cite web | title=1870 Census of the Population | at=Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts | publisher=Department of the Interior, Census Office | access-date=July 12, 2011 | year=1872| url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2023| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=May 19, 2024 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}
The permanent, year-round population has nearly doubled since 1990, with the number of residents increasing since the late 20th century. As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2010, there were 14,006 people, 5,256 households, and 3,652 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|514.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 8,325 housing units at an average density of {{convert|354.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 84.13% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 4.28% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 6.08% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.22% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.27% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.94% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.24% of the population.

There were 5,256 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,871, and the median income for a family was $56,702. Males had a median income of $43,922 versus $31,416 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $25,215. About 4.5% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

== Government ==

Mashpee is represented in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] as part of the Third Barnstable district. The town is represented in the [[Massachusetts Senate]] as a part of the Cape and Islands district, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, with the exception of Bourne, Falmouth, and Sandwich.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm |title=Index of Legislative Representation by City and Town, from |publisher=Mass.gov |access-date=November 7, 2010}}</ref> The town is patrolled by the Seventh (Bourne) Barracks of Troop D of the [[Massachusetts State Police]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Law+Enforcement+%26+Criminal+Justice&L2=Law+Enforcement&L3=State+Police+Troops&L4=Troop+D&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=msp_divisions_field_services_troops_troop_d_msp_field_troop_d_station_d7&csid=Eeops |title=Station D-7, SP Bourne |publisher=Mass.gov |access-date=November 7, 2010}}</ref>

On the national level, Mashpee is a part of [[Massachusetts's 9th congressional district]], and is currently represented by [[Bill Keating (politician)|Bill Keating]]. The state's senior (Class II) member of the [[United States Senate]], elected in 2012, is [[Elizabeth Warren]]. The junior (Class II) senator, elected in 2013, is [[Ed Markey]].

Mashpee is governed by the [[open town meeting]] form of government, led by an executive secretary and a [[board of selectmen]]. The town operates its own police and fire departments, both of which are headquartered together near Pine Tree Corner. The town's post office and public library are also located nearby, and the library is a member of the [[Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing]] library network.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008<ref>{{cite web | title = Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 15, 2008 | publisher = Massachusetts Elections Division | access-date = May 8, 2010 | url = http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/st_county_town_enroll_breakdown_08.pdf }}</ref>
|-
! colspan="2" | Party
! Number of Voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 2,715
| style="text-align:center;"| 27.20%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1,636
| style="text-align:center;"| 16.39%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Unaffiliated
| style="text-align:center;"| 5,600
| style="text-align:center;"| 56.11%
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 30
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.30%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! style="text-align:center;"| 9,981
! style="text-align:center;"| 100%
|}

== Education ==
Mashpee has two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school located in the town. The middle school is located in the same building as the high school, operates under the same administration and has its own wing strictly for the 7th and 8th grade students. The building also houses the [[Mashpeetech.com|Technology "Center of Excellence"]]. It has been recognized at several statewide conferences for its industry education and innovative course offerings.

* Kenneth C. Coombs School (K–2)
* Quashnet School (3–6)
* [[Mashpee Middle-High School]] (7–12)

Mashpee operates its own school system for the approximately 1,700 students in town. The Kenneth C. Coombs School (Also known as the K. C. Coombs School) is for pre-school to grade 2, the Quashnet School is for grades 3 to 6, and [[Mashpee Middle-High School]] is for grades 7–12. Before Mashpee High opened its doors in 1996, students residing in Mashpee attended nearby [[Falmouth High School (Massachusetts)|Falmouth High School]].

Mashpee's athletics teams are named the Falcons, and their colors are royal blue, white, and black. They compete in the [[South Shore League]], which participates in the Division 3 & 4 level of competition. Mashpee High School's main rivals are [[Monomoy Regional High School]], [[Abington High School]], [[Sandwich High School]], and [[Cohasset High School]]. 

From 1999 to 2003 Mashpee played Sandwich High School in an annual Thanksgiving football game rivalry. From 2003–2009, Mashpee played [[Cape Cod Regional Technical High School]]. In 2009, Mashpee dropped the Thanksgiving rivalry with Cape Cod Tech and has since renewed the Thanksgiving rivalry with Sandwich, which is effective in the year 2010. 

Mashpee's football team is regarded as one of the premier small-school programs in the state. the Falcons have won 4 state championships (2011, 2015, 2016, 2017) under the leadership of head coach Matt Triveri.

Additionally, high school students may attend [[Cape Cod Regional Technical High School]] in Harwich free of charge. Students from Mashpee may also attend the two Catholic high schools that serve the area, [[Bishop Stang High School]] in [[Dartmouth, Massachusetts|Dartmouth]], or the newly opened [[Saint John Paul II High School (Massachusetts)|Pope John Paul II High School]] in [[Hyannis, Massachusetts|Hyannis]]. 

Private schools located in nearby communities include [[Falmouth Academy]] in [[Falmouth, Massachusetts|Falmouth]], [[Cape Cod Academy]] in [[Barnstable, Massachusetts|Barnstable]], and [[Tabor Academy (Massachusetts)|Tabor Academy]], a private-prep boarding school in nearby [[Marion, Massachusetts|Marion]].

A [[Wampanoag language]] Immersion school called ''Wôpanâôt8ây Pâhshaneekamuq'' is expected to open in Mashpee in 2016, serving preschool students in its first year and kindergarten students starting in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title = Project Overview|url = http://www.wlrp.org/project-overview.html|website = Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project|access-date = November 8, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306005846/http://www.wlrp.org/project-overview.html|archive-date = March 6, 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref>

== Notable people ==

* [[Jessie Little Doe Baird]], [[Wampanoag]] Native American historian and [[linguist]], known for her efforts to revive the [[Wampanoag language]] (Wôpanâak)
* [[Jamaal Branch]], former [[NFL]] football player, attended [[Colgate University|Colgate]], 2003 [[Walter Payton Award]] winner, graduated from [[Falmouth High School (Massachusetts)|Falmouth High School]] in 1999
* [[Carlo D'Este]], [[military historian]] and a resident of [[New Seabury, Massachusetts|New Seabury]] in Mashpee
* [[Erik Erikson]], developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst, known for his theory on social development of human beings
* [[Adrian Haynes]], Chief of the Wampanoag Nation, was born in Mashpee
* [[Robert Kraft]], owner of the [[New England Patriots]]; owns a residence in the [[Popponesset Island]] area of Mashpee
* [[Matt Malone, S.J.|Matt Malone]], American Jesuit and journalist; editor in chief of ''America'' magazine 
* [[Dana Mohler-Faria]], former President of [[Bridgewater State University]]
* [[Paula Peters]], [[Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe]] activist, educator and journalist
* [[Sherry Pocknett]], renowned chef, [[James Beard Foundation Award|James Beard Award]] winner
* [[William Rosenberg]], founder of [[Dunkin' Donuts]], died at his home in Mashpee in 2002

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Mashpee}}
* {{Official website|http://www.mashpeema.gov/|Town of Mashpee official website}}
* [http://www.mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe], official website

{{Barnstable County, Massachusetts}}
{{Massachusetts}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Mashpee, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:1660 establishments in Plymouth Colony]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1660]]
[[Category:Towns in Barnstable County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe]]