For most people who can afford it, yes. Rockport grades B+ overall, 118th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. It has 53 miles of trail. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 94% of U.S. towns and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 87% of the country. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $864K, 7.5 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 11 places on the National Register. 38% of residents are 65 or older in Rockport, above both the Massachusetts town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Rockport is more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns. Rockport's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns.

StrongestA⁺Outdoors A⁺History A⁺Civic lifeWeakestDCost of living

What makes Rockport stand out

Where Rockport beats most towns.

Twin Lights Historic District-Cape Ann Light Station

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1623

10 places on the National Register

A history going back 403 years.

Library visits per resident

2.5 times the library visits per person

than the typical Massachusetts town

IMLS Public Libraries Survey.

Twin Lights Historic District-Cape Ann Light Station · National Register of Historic Places

Rockport’s story

403 years in pictures

Twin Lights Historic District-Cape Ann Light Station is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1623, comes before those of 98% of the Massachusetts towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 2,650 in 1840, 6,992 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1771 and 7 maps from 1886 on.

10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1623Rockport is settled

Explore the history →

How Rockport grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Rockport is from typical.

How grading works

SafetyAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11 of 20; 7.7% of households have no car; 4.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitAOpen →HealthNortheast Hospital Corporation 15.2 miles awayAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; coastal flooding tops the listB⁺Open →Jobs & income$96K median household income; 928 jobs based hereB⁻Open →SchoolsB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors11% conserved landA⁺Open →History7 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life9.8 library visits per resident; 8.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA⁺Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateSnowy winters, 79° summer afternoons, 51″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 59.7–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Fenway Park and 139 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rockport. Close and well known come first.

All 183 attractions →

Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park

Big draw34 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum

31 mi AttractionFreedom Trail

33 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a year

30 mi MuseumBunker Hill Monument

31 mi GardenBoston Common

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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 · Bunker Hill Monument: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Boston Common: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0

Getting set up

Moving to Rockport: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Rockport, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerNational Grid33.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterRockport Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rockport’s trash rules yet

SchoolsRockport School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereRockport Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021

ZIP code0196601966 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Rockport.

Rockport has seen reported crime fall by about half and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Massachusetts; it also has a long record of flood insurance claims.

OutdoorsA⁺

Conserved land covers 10.9% of Rockport

The trail density in Rockport is 3.1 miles per square mile. Pool Hill Town Forest, at 98 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#54for trails in MA

10.9%

conserved · 1,219 of 11,155 acres

53 mi

of trails · 3.1 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Halibut Point State Park	2.2 mi	55
2. Pool Hill Town Forest	1.9 mi	98
3. DeLamater Sanctuary	1.2 mi	41

Full pageRockport’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map53 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk2.2 miles of trail · Halibut Point State Park Conserved land10.9% conserved · 1,219 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Rockport?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsB⁻

Public schools in Rockport fall behind 53% of Massachusetts districts

Its public schools are run by the Rockport school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Rockport Middle High, with 367 students.

47%of MA districts it outscoresB⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Rockport ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	264	B⁻
Rockport Middle HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12	Grades 6–12	367	A⁻

Full pageRockport’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsRockport Vs. the neighborsAhead of its graded neighbor Every school2 schools · Rockport Middle High Questions“Are Rockport’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation

SafetyA

Rockport earns an A for safety

Reported crimes fell from 21 to 9 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

Rockport’s property crime rate is 0.8 per 1,000 residents.

94%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade

	Rockport	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	0.8 per 1,000 residents	4.9	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	0.4 per 1,000 residents	1.5	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Rockport0.4

Massachusetts3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Rockport0.8

Massachusetts10.4

U.S.15.5

94th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

95th

percentile among MA towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageRockport’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type0.4 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of its graded neighbor Questions“Is Rockport, MA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Who lives here

The median age in Rockport is higher than in the typical Massachusetts or U.S. town

14% of Rockport residents are under 18. Among 283 Massachusetts towns, just 5 have a higher median age than Rockport. 55% of Rockport adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.

59.7median age · MA 40

	Rockport	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Median age	59.7 years	43.4 years	40.5 years
Under 18	14%	20%	22%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	55%	47%	29%

RockportMassachusettsUnited States

MAU.S.

Ages · share of residents

27%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma4%

High school13%

Some college18%

Associate’s11%

Bachelor’s26%

Graduate29%

Women and men · all residents

55% women, 45% men

About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.2 points). Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Rockport
	Rockport	MA	U.S.
Under 10	6.6%	10.2%	11.6%
10 to 17	7.2%	9.2%	10.3%
18 to 24	5.7%	9.8%	9.1%
25 to 34	6.5%	14%	13.7%
35 to 44	6.9%	13%	13.2%
45 to 54	8.7%	12.3%	12.2%
55 to 64	20.3%	13.6%	12.7%
65 to 74	26.6%	10.5%	10.2%
75 and older	11.6%	7.4%	7%
No diploma	3.8%	8.6%	10.4%
High school	12.6%	22.6%	26%
Some college	17.5%	14.1%	19.1%
Associate’s	10.9%	7.5%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	26.2%	25.5%	21.6%
Graduate	29%	21.8%	14.1%

Full pageRockport by the numbersOpen the page

Ages59.7 median age · 38% are 65 or older Schooling55% have a four-year degree Homes68% own their home · Homeowners Income$96K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

HealthA

Rockport stands out in Massachusetts and nationally: a smaller share of its adults feel lonely

Within Massachusetts it is healthier than 51% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.

28% of adults feel lonely in Rockport. Rockport beats the Massachusetts average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Rockport.

87%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade

	Rockport	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	28%	33%	33%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	13%	16%	17%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	86%	82%	79%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	13%	17%	16%

32 measures vs. Massachusetts

16 better9 too close to call7 worse

What stands out	Rockport	MA
Fewer uninsured adults	2.8%	5.2%
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity	6.1%	11.1%
More adults who have had cancer	13.7%	8.5%

Northeast Hospital Corporation

15.2 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

50th

percentile among MA towns

Full pageRockport’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer binge drinkers Hospitals & doctors nearby15.2 miles to an ER · Northeast Hospital Corporation How adults are doingFewer adults in frequent mental distress Every CDC estimateBetter than MA on 16 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B⁻

Most of Rockport’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them

The top destinations are Gloucester (18%), Boston (11%) and Beverly (7%).

14%work in town

	Rockport	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Work from home	22%	18%	11%
Median household income	$96,000	$120,000	$80,000
Working residents who work in town	14%	9.8%	8%
Average trip to work	30 minutes	30 minutes	25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Rockport14%

Gloucester18%

Boston11%

Beverly7%

Danvers3%

18 mi

median commute distance

928

jobs based in Rockport

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns

Full pageRockport’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here928 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work14% work in Rockport Commute times30 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 18 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

HousingCost of living grade D

Rockport earns a D for cost of living

71.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.8% across Massachusetts.

The typical Rockport home is worth about $864,000, up 3.6% in a year, 32% above the Massachusetts typical home.

$864KZillow home value

	Rockport	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$1,851 a month	$1,682 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	68%	79%	73%

Typical home value

Rockport$864K

Massachusetts$655K

+3.6%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageRockport’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 3.6% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 9.0 years of income Rents$1,851 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B⁺

Coastal flooding leads a low hazard risk in Rockport

250 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 24 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 250 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rockport.

27risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Coastal floodingInland floodingHurricanes

250

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageRockport’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesLow risk Flood claims250 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters12 federal disasters · Paid out in Rockport Get readyReady for coastal flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Rockport has snowy winters and pleasant summers

Rockport has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Only 10 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare have a lower July high than Rockport.

51″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter22–38°

Spring37–55°

Summer60–77°

Fall44–61°

Oct 12

typical first frost

May 4

typical last frost

+1.7°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageRockport’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 79°, January lows 20°Rain & snow51″ of snow a winter · 48 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Rockport

20pages on Rockport

The big questions

SchoolsB⁻Behind 53% of MA districts · 2 schools SafetyA0.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than MA on 16 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingD$864K typical home · up 3.6% in a year Work & commuteB⁻$96K median household income · 928 jobs here Natural hazardsB⁺FEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities · coastal flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁺53 mi of trails · 11% conserved land PlacesAttractions183 nearby · Paper House under 1 mi LibraryA⁺9.8 library visits per resident CollegesGordon College is 11.9 mi away

The story

HistoryA⁺Settled 1623 · 10 on the National Register Famous people7 born in Rockport Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 24 residents Climate79° summer highs · 51″ of snow

Day to day

News2 recent stories about Rockport WeatherHandbookZIP code 01966 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

3 within 15 miles of the center of Rockport

Gordon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wenham11.9 mi$30,700 tuition Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · South Hamilton12.7 mi Endicott CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Beverly14 mi$40,650 tuition

About 3 of every 100 Rockport residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

By the sea

Rockport lives by the ocean

Coastal flooding makes up 52% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.

20% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, so the town is fuller in summer than its census count suggests.

52%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding

99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally

250paid flood-insurance claims since 1978

9storm & flood disasters paid out here

On the water

Halibut Point State Park Directions ↗
Thacher Island
Halibut Point Reservation
Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap

Landmarks

10 places in Rockport on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Twin Lights Historic District-Cape Ann Light StationBuilt 1771 · National Historic Landmark

Rockport Downtown Main Street Historic District

Old Castle

Granite Keystone Bridge

Famous people from Rockport

7 notable people were born in Rockport.

See all 7 →

Andrew StantonAmerican animator, film director and screenwriter · born 1965

Vermin SupremeAmerican performance artist and political activist · born 1961

Marshall Howard SavilleAmerican archaeologist · 1867–1935

Bertha MahonyAmerican writer · 1882–1969

Frederick H. TarrPolitician in Massachusetts, US · 1868–1944

Rick HautalaAmerican writer · 1949–2013

About Rockport

Town in Massachusetts, United States

Official town website ↗

Rockport is a seaside town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,992 in 2020. Rockport is about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Boston, at the tip of Cape Ann. It borders Gloucester to its west, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in all other directions. Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Rockport.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1623
Area: 18 sq mi
Elevation: 75 ft
ZIP code: 01966

Rockport’s neighbors

One town shares a border with Rockport.

Explore the map →

GloucesterRockport

Gloucester

SW · 18% of Rockport workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	MA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Rockport	#118	B⁺	D	A	B⁻	A
Gloucester	#217	C⁺	C⁻	B	C	B⁺

Compare Rockport with a neighbor →

Questions about Rockport

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Rockport, MA a good place to live?

For most people who can afford it, yes. Rockport grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #118 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A for health, A for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Rockport, MA expensive?

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.

What is Rockport, MA known for?

7 notable people were born here, including Andrew Stanton and Vermin Supreme.

Post to Rockport

Check your email

RockportMA

Is Rockport a good place to live?