Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hull grades B overall, ranked 163rd of 282 in Massachusetts. It is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. Residents are healthier than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $115K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $708K for a typical one and 6.1 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Hull’s median age is 56.1 years, above both the Massachusetts town median (43.4 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). On hazard risk, just 2 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Boston Light and Point Allerton Lifesaving Station.
Where Hull beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Boston Light
Boston Light is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1622, comes before those of 99% of the Massachusetts towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 120 in 1790, 10,072 in 2020. The archive holds 42 old photos and papers going back to 1864 and 7 maps from 1892 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Hull is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for hazard risk (better than 8%), so the B overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hull. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw11 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
9 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
11 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a year
10 mi GardenBoston CommonFenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Boston Common: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hull, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Hull.
Hull is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Massachusetts; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Massachusetts (mostly coastal flooding).
Within Massachusetts it is healthier than 51% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 7.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide.
84% of Hull adults had a checkup this year. Hull beats the Massachusetts average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 30% of Hull adults feel lonely.
| Hull | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 82% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Hull | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.1% | 11.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Hull school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lillian M JacobsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–7 | Grades PK–7 | 434 | B+ |
| Hull HighLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 278 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of Massachusetts towns, with expected losses of about $629 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on. 1,980 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 259 properties have flooded more than once.
The FEMA risk score in Hull is 87 of 100. Since 1978, 1,980 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hull.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Hull for work: only 10% work in town. Hull’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. Since 2013, Hull has added 140 jobs, to 1,137 in 2023.
| Hull | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 20% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $115,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Hull has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 21° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 12% of residents (19% statewide). 11% of residents are under 18 in Hull. 50% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 47% across Massachusetts.
| Hull | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 11% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 50% | 47% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2 points). Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 55.1, men 56.5.
| Hull | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.8% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.7% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.8% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.9% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.5% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.4% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.6% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.3% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.1% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Hull sits closer to the middle.
| Hull | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.4 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Hull home is worth about $708,000, up 3.3% in a year, 8% above the Massachusetts typical home.
| Hull | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,081 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 79% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2.5 miles of trail in 26 parks and preserves. Only 1 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare have a lower trail density than Hull. The biggest park or preserve is Peddocks Island, at 201 acres.
| Hull | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 19% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bumpkin Island | 0.7 mi | 31 |
| 2. Weir River Woods | 0.5 mi | 13 |
| 3. Peddocks Island | 0.3 mi | 201 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
42 within 15 miles of the center of Hull
About 4 of every 100 Hull residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Coastal flooding makes up 71% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
5 places in Hull on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Hull.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Hull is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, located on a peninsula at the southern edge of Boston Harbor. Its population was 10,072 at the 2020 census. Hull is the smallest town by land area in Plymouth County and the eleventh smallest in the state. However, its population density is nearly four times that of Massachusetts as a whole. Hull is home to the popular resort community of Nantasket Beach and has been the summer home to several luminaries throughout the years, including Calvin Coolidge and former Boston mayor John F. Fitzgerald (also known as "Honey Fitz"), the father of Rose Kennedy and grandfather of John F. Kennedy.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Hull.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hull grades B overall, better than 61% of U.S. towns and #163 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A for health, B for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Hull sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
11 notable people were born here, including Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. and Eric Healey.
