South Duxbury station postcard, 1907–1915
South Duxbury’s story
156 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 7 maps from 1885 on.
- 1870South Duxbury is settled
South DuxburyMA
3,252 people live in this town, settled in 1870.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0
Population
3,252
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$982K
Census ACS
Household income
$213K
median
Median age
49.6
years
Jobs based here
510
A commuter town
Is South Duxbury a good place to live?
77% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in South Duxbury, above both the Massachusetts town median (47%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only one of the 279 Massachusetts towns we compare has a higher going rate for rent than South Duxbury. South Duxbury’s trail network density is 0.2 miles per square mile, against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Myles Standish Monument State Reservation, at 28 acres. We don’t grade South Duxbury yet; the figures below are still real.
By the sea
South Duxbury lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 43% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
43%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
91paid flood-insurance claims since 1978
79thpercentile for hurricane risk
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Nearby attractions
All 254 attractions →Fenway Park and 173 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Duxbury. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw31 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
6 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet
33 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
4 mi LandmarkNational Monument to the ForefathersSources: 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 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · National Monument to the Forefathers: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia, Public domain
_underway_c1944.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to South Duxbury: who provides what
South Duxbury is unincorporated, so Plymouth County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDuxbury Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPlymouth CountyPlymouth County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereDuxbury Town ClerkTown of Duxbury; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code0233202332 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 South Duxbury.
Work & commute
Fewer of South Duxbury’s working residents work locally than in the typical Massachusetts or U.S. town
For South Duxbury, the typical household income is $213,000. Since 2013, South Duxbury has added 79 jobs, to 510 in 2023. Among workers in the town, 27% work remotely from home. The top destinations are Boston (17%), Duxbury (12%) and Plymouth (9%).
3%work in town
| South Duxbury | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $213,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 27% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In South Duxbury3%
Boston17%
Duxbury12%
Plymouth9%
Quincy3%
23 mi
median commute distance
510
jobs based in South Duxbury
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Top of a low hazard risk in South Duxbury: coastal flooding
43% of South Duxbury’s expected losses from natural hazards come from coastal flooding, followed by inland flooding at 39%. On expected storm and flood damage, South Duxbury sits below just over two thirds of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 91 claims in the town since 1978.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Coastal floodingInland floodingHurricanes
91
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in South Duxbury brings four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 82°; in January, nights fall to 22°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring39–56°
Summer61–79°
Fall46–63°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Massachusetts and the rest of the country, fewer of South Duxbury’s adults sleep under 7 hours
For adults in South Duxbury, the share who get no exercise outside work is 14%. Against the Massachusetts average, South Duxbury comes out ahead on 20 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. Among 280 Massachusetts towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who worry about having enough food than South Duxbury.
| South Duxbury | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7% | 11% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
20 better11 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | South Duxbury | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3.4% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.1% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.5% |
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth
5.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
6.2% of the land in South Duxbury is protected from building
Count the trails in 8 parks and preserves and they come to 1.0 miles. Parks and preserves in South Duxbury: 8, covering 64 acres.
6.2%conserved
6.2%
conserved · 174 of 2,806 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lapham Woods | 0.3 mi | 22 |
| 2. Myles Standish Monument State Reservation | 0.1 mi | 28 |
| 3. Wadsworth Field Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
The median home in South Duxbury sells for about $1.52M
In South Duxbury, 96% of households live in a home they own.
$1.52Mmedian sale price
4
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Duxbury
16pages on South Duxbury
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Duxbury
About 6 of every 100 South Duxbury residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave South Duxbury for work
Where South Duxbury’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
510jobs based in South Duxbury
3%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About South Duxbury
Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States
South Duxbury is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Duxbury in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Duxbury had a population of 3,463.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 52 ft
South Duxbury’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with South Duxbury.
DuxburyKingstonSouth Duxbury
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Duxbury | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Duxbury | #39 | A+ | D | A | A− | A+ |
| Kingston | #92 | A− | C | B+ | B | A |
South Duxbury isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Duxbury with a neighbor →
Questions about South Duxbury
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Duxbury, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade South Duxbury yet; the figures below are still real.