Welcome To Cape Codger
Demographics and some bad local planning have combined to suddenly turn the population of Cape Cod much older than the rest of the country. Well, sort of. The median age is increasing much faster there than in the nation as a whole - and they have only themselves to blame for the situation.
Since 1990, the median age on the scenic arm jutting out from the mainland has risen about seven years, from around 39 to just under 46. Nationwide, the median age of 36.4 rose about half as much during the same time, according to Peter Francese, director of demographic forecasts at the New England Economic Partnership.
If the trend continues, this region faces crushing costs for health care of the aging, and fewer workers for an already stretched pool of employees.
Some Cape Codders also fear their historic, hardworking communities will become exclusive places for the wealthy, similar to nearby Nantucket.
"I don't think you can call any community healthy that can't support all generations of a family," said Maggie Geist of The Association to Preserve Cape Cod. "The Cape is well past that point."
About a quarter of Cape residents are over 65, compared to about 13 percent nationwide.
Another telling statistic shows the Cape had 5,000 more deaths than births from 2000 to 2006, the sixth-highest percentage loss in the nation. That puts the Cape ahead of retiree-laden Florida's Pinellas, Volusia and Pasco counties.
Part of the problem stems from the Cape's shorelines and landscapes that draw visitors and inspire famous residents such as the Kennedys. President John F. Kennedy once said: "I always go to Hyannisport to be revived, to know again the power of the sea, and the Master who rules over it, and all of us."
The Cape capitalized on that natural beauty in the 1980s by building up tourism to replace the flagging fishing and farming industries, and some of the tourists were smart enough to buy second homes.
Now those visitors are retired and moving in. From 1980 to today, the population boomed from 148,000 to 225,000.
"It's kind of the unintended consequences of a robust tourism economy," said Wendy Northcross, executive director of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
Many Cape towns, concerned about preserving their character and natural resources, reacted with policies aimed at curbing development.
But that had the effect of pushing prices too high for younger families with children. From 2000 to 2006, about 10,000 people aged 35-44 and their children left the Cape, Francese said.
The writer of the piece spins the whole thing as a pending health care crisis and demographic disaster. But the towns there really brought this down on themselves. The restrictions on home building have made McMansions the order of the day and there is little undeveloped or unprotected space left on the cape. That has resulted in the weird demographics. The implication is that the government is going to have to step in to solve the crisis.
The governments are the ones who caused it for heaven's sake.
By syn, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 7:15 am
Don’t look now but this is what the future holds, an overpopulation of elderly consuming an underpopulated youth; the same age group which ironically grew up encouraging abortion over sacrifice.
Does anyone believe children born unto a callous, self-serving, narcissistic culture are going to say ‘don’t worry granny we’ll take care of you…our happy isn’t all that important.’
Karma’s a bitch when people do bad things.
The Me Generation is about to pay a heavy price for partying all night long man.