Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Nantucket's standout: it has 208 miles of trail. Overall it grades B−, ranked 202nd of 282 in Massachusetts. It is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns and it is more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. Nantucket’s typical home value is $3,187,000, against $633,000 in Massachusetts’ towns and $332,000 across U.S. towns. Middle Moors, at 2,351 acres with 35.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Nantucket beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Nantucket Historic District is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 4,555 in 1790, a low of 2,797 in 1920, 14,255 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1789 and 6 maps from 1889 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Nantucket is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nantucket, 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 Nantucket.
Nantucket has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is safe by national standards but not by Massachusetts’s; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Massachusetts (mostly hurricanes).
At 22.8 years of the Nantucket area’s $140K median household income, the typical home (about $3.19M) costs more against local pay than in any other Massachusetts town; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living.
The median rent in Nantucket is $2,213 a month. Typical home values rose 9.5% in the year to September 2026. The typical Nantucket home is worth about $3,187,000, up 9.5% in a year, 5 times the Massachusetts typical home.
| Nantucket | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,213 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Nantucket school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Nantucket High, with 596 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 399 | – |
| Nantucket HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 596 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 7.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide.
19% of adults binge drink in Nantucket. Nantucket beats the Massachusetts average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 29% of adults have high blood pressure in Nantucket.
| Nantucket | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Nantucket | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.4% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.1% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #3 of 283 in Massachusetts.
Nantucket’s trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Middle Moors | 35.4 mi | 2,351 |
| 2. Milestone Cranberry Bog | 15.2 mi | 773 |
| 3. Great Point | 12.6 mi | 914 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of Massachusetts towns, with expected losses of about $1,550 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on. 472 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 68 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 472 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Nantucket. Only 1 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Nantucket.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Edgartown weather station, 23 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 99% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 76.3°, cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 25.9°.
Of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Nantucket. Nantucket has chilly winters and pleasant summers. About 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Nantucket | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 76°F | 83°F | 85°F |
| January low | 26°F | 18°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (39% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (24% statewide). 56% of Nantucket adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Nantucket has grown 3.6% since 2020, to 14,758 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Nantucket | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 56% | 47% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.4 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Nantucket | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.3% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.2% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.8% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.2% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.1% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.2% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.6% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 34.4% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.9% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The average commute for its 6,667 working residents takes 16 minutes, against 29.1 across Massachusetts. Jobs based here grew from 4,320 in 2013 to 5,917.
68% of Nantucket’s working residents work right in town. Jobs based in Nantucket grew to 5,917 in 2023, 1,597 more than in 2013. Among 283 Massachusetts towns, just 4 have a lower average trip to work than Nantucket.
| Nantucket | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $140,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 13% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 18.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 72% of Massachusetts’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Nantucket. Close and well known come first.
22 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
22 mi National SeashoreCape Cod National Seashore3.7M visitors a year
in town MuseumNantucket Whaling Museum
29 mi MuseumElephant House
in town Zoo & aquariumMaria Mitchell Aquarium
38 mi MuseumSandwich Historical Society and Glass MuseumSS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain · Cape Cod National Seashore: SeduisantRedux, CC BY 3.0 · Nantucket Whaling Museum: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Elephant House: Nicole Leigh Martel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Maria Mitchell Aquarium: Neddy1234, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sandwich Historical Society and Glass Museum: Andrewrabbott, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Nantucket; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Nantucket residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
10,172 counted in 2010 and 14,255 in 2020; an estimated 14,758 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
4 places in Nantucket on the National Register of Historic Places.
26 notable people were born in Nantucket.
Consolidated town and county in Massachusetts, United States
Nantucket () is an island in Massachusetts, United States, about 30 miles (48 km) south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government. Nantucket is the southeasternmost town in Massachusetts. The name "Nantucket" is adapted from similar Algonquian names for the island. Nantucket is a tourist destination and summer colony. Due to an influx of tourists and seasonal residents, the population of the island increases to around 80,000 during the summer months. The average sale price for a single-family home was $2.3 million in the first quarter of 2018. The National Park Ser…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Nantucket grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #202 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A for health, B− for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Nantucket 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 C−.
26 notable people were born here, including Meghan Trainor and Lucretia Mott.
