Population 13,093 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Nantucket
Household size in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.12 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.83 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Nantucket holds 2.83 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.64, even as the national average fell. Nantucket has larger households than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 41.3, the median age in Nantucket is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 40.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Nantucket: 15.4% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 6.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only 20 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Nantucket
Renters in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.2% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.4% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.9% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Nantucket own their homes; 26.9% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Just over a third of owners (34.3%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the southeast.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.9% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.7% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 57.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.9% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −13.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 39.9% of the housing in Nantucket, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is down 13.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Nantucket is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only nine have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,768 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,711 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,795 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,150 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$382 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Nantucket costs $2,150 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $382 a month from 2006–10, a 22% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Nantucket
Bachelor's degrees in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.3% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.6% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 54.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.6 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Nantucket: 54.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 16.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.2% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.0% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Nantucket have finished high school (92.0%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Massachusetts. The share with a diploma is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Nantucket
| Period | Nantucket | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.7% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Nantucket has been low: just 2.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Nantucket has lower unemployment than the great majority of Massachusetts cities. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Nantucket compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket | 2.83 | 41.3 | 15.4% | 26.9% | 39.9% | 1986 | $2,150 | 54.9% | 92.0% | 2.7% |
| Surfside | 2.66 | 42.8 | 7.2% | 61.5% | 21.8% | 1991 | $1,808 | 63.4% | 94.7% | 0.0% |
| Shawkemo | 2.01 | 47.9 | 12.7% | 51.0% | 76.5% | 1990 | $2,224 | 65.8% | 98.9% | 0.0% |
| Quaise | 2.01 | 47.9 | 12.7% | 51.0% | 76.5% | 1990 | $2,224 | 65.8% | 98.9% | 0.0% |
| Siasconset | 1.83 | 60.1 | 12.4% | 2.9% | 86.4% | 1983 | $2,214 | 63.8% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Quidnet | 2.01 | 47.9 | 12.7% | 51.0% | 76.5% | 1990 | $2,224 | 65.8% | 98.9% | 0.0% |
| Katama | 3.93 | 57.3 | 7.1% | 1.7% | 59.8% | 1986 | $1,820 | 73.4% | 96.4% | 0.0% |
| Edgartown | 2.92 | 51.2 | 9.4% | 14.3% | 63.1% | 1983 | $1,815 | 51.9% | 96.3% | 5.5% |
| Dennis Port | 1.92 | 53.9 | 5.4% | 29.4% | 49.8% | 1966 | $1,439 | 41.8% | 97.1% | 10.0% |
| Oak Bluffs | 3.08 | 41.8 | 9.8% | 32.8% | 51.1% | 1983 | $1,099 | 60.3% | 100.0% | 5.9% |
| West Dennis | 2.04 | 61.1 | 7.7% | 27.4% | 49.4% | 1965 | $1,760 | 42.9% | 95.0% | 1.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Fredonia, NY · Sugar Grove, IL · Garden City, GA · Garden Acres, CA · Gantt, SC · Gallipolis, OH · Freeport, TX · Freeport, FL · Freeland, MI · Swanton, OH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Nantucket. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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