Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Tisbury's standout: it has 18 miles of trail. Overall it grades B−, 197th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 79% of the country and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 98% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is safety: its crime rate is higher than 81% of U.S. towns, with 34 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. Tisbury’s typical home value is $1,349,000, against $633,000 in Massachusetts’ towns and $332,000 across U.S. towns. Tisbury's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include West Chop Light Station and Ritter House.
Where Tisbury beats most towns.
Ritter House
Census counts: 1,142 in 1790, a low of 1,142 in 1790, 4,815 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1782 and 5 maps from 1889 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tisbury takes its name from Tisbury in Wiltshire, England, 3,220 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionTisbury, settled in 1660, takes its name from Tisbury, a village in Wiltshire, England.
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Tisbury is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tisbury. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi MuseumThe Breakers
33 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
39 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
36 mi MuseumMarble House
36 mi MuseumThe Elms
35 mi Ancient siteSS PendletonThe Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · SS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tisbury, 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 Tisbury.
Tisbury is a second-home town and has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Massachusetts rate.
At 10.7 years of the Vineyard Haven area’s $126K median household income, the typical home (about $1.35M) costs more against local pay than in 93% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living.
Typical home values rose 8.4% in the year to September 2026. The typical Tisbury home is worth about $1,349,000, up 8.4% in a year, about twice the Massachusetts typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Tisbury school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tisbury ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 312 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 6.9 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Massachusetts rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its C−. At 36.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 95% of Massachusetts’s graded towns.
The violent crime rate in Tisbury is 6.9 per 1,000 residents. Tisbury reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 81% report less.
| Tisbury | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.1 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 69% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
26% of adults have obesity in Tisbury. Tisbury beats the Massachusetts average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 82% of adults had a checkup this year in Tisbury.
| Tisbury | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 28% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 82% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 4.5% | 3.7% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Tisbury | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 8.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 7% | 5.9% |
| More adults with arthritis | 29.9% | 25.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tisbury.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Edgartown weather station, 8 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Tisbury has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Tisbury’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The biggest place to walk is Tisbury Meadow Preserve, 100 acres with 2.5 miles of trail.
| Tisbury | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.2% | 19% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tisbury Meadow Preserve | 2.5 mi | 100 |
| 2. Ripleys Field Preserve | 2 mi | 88 |
| 3. West Chop Woods | 1.7 mi | 82 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
39.1% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 3.7% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (39% statewide). 40% of Tisbury adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Tisbury has grown 2.3% since 2020, to 4,934 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Tisbury | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.9 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 16% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 47% | 29% |
56% women, 44% men
About 79 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5 points). Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Tisbury | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.1% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.9% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.7% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.9% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.9% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.4% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.9% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.7% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,900, single groups can be off by several points
The average commute for its 2,043 working residents takes 20.6 minutes, against 29.1 across Massachusetts.
About one in 4 of Tisbury’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Tisbury has added 372 jobs, to 1,696 in 2023. The top destinations are Oak Bluffs (19%), Edgartown (11%) and West Tisbury (8%).
| Tisbury | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Tisbury; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Tisbury residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
3,949 counted in 2010 and 4,815 in 2020; an estimated 4,934 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
6 places in Tisbury on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Tisbury is a town on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. The population was 4,815 at the 2020 census. Vineyard Haven is the main village/town center of Tisbury. The two names are used interchangeably. As can be seen in the history section below, the town of Tisbury was incorporated within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1671, and remains the legal name of the town to this day. However, the port and harbor have had varying names. "Holmes Hole" was one of the first names of the port within the town of Tisbury. This name was later changed to "Vineyard Haven", which is the official post office name for the community. To residents of Martha's Vineyard, "Vineyard Haven" is by far the more co…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Tisbury.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tisbury | #197 | B− | C− | C− | B+ | A− |
| Oak Bluffs | #172 | B | C+ | C+ | B | A− |
| West Tisbury | #143 | B+ | D | A− | B | A+ |
| Gosnold | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Gosnold isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Tisbury with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Tisbury grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #197 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A− for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Edmund C. Weeks and Benjamin West.
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