Barnstable County is Cape Cod, the hook of sand curling into the Atlantic off southeastern Massachusetts. The town of Barnstable is the county seat.
The Cape lives on summer, when visitors fill Hyannis, Falmouth, and the galleries and beaches of Provincetown at its tip. The Cape Cod National Seashore protects 40 miles of dunes and shoreline.
Hyannis is forever linked to the Kennedy family, whose compound sits on the harbor.
About 39% of Cape Cod homes heat with oil, above the state average. Comparing local quotes is an easy way to keep costs down.