Nantucket, Massachusetts

Town in Nantucket County · population 14,255 (2020 Census)

Median home: $1,593,800
Household income: $139,688
Jan low / Jul high: 27° / 75°
Snow a year: 25 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 0
Median age: 42.4

Nantucket is a town of 14,255 people in Nantucket County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $1,593,800, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks better for cycling than 97% of Massachusetts towns, better for a vacation home than 86% of Massachusetts towns, better for young professionals than 85% of Massachusetts towns.

How Nantucket ranks

Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Nantucket is worth $1,593,800, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 11.4 times the median household income of $139,688, which is more affordable than 1% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $2,213 a month. 71.8% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Massachusetts towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Nantucket	Typical Massachusetts town
Median home value	$1,593,800	$510,150
Median rent	$2,213	$1,561
Median household income	$139,688	$108,622
Home value ÷ income	11.4×	4.5×
Homeownership	71.8%	80.7%
Median year built	1984	1968
Seasonal / vacation homes	55.0%	—

Who lives in Nantucket

People	Nantucket	Typical Massachusetts town
Median age	42.4	44.8
Age 65 and over	16.1%	20.7%
Under 18	20.5%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	56.3%	45.7%
Below the poverty line	3.2%	6.3%
Veterans	6.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	15.8%	—
Work from home	13.0%	17.7%
Average commute	16.0 min	30.1 min
Homes with broadband	95.3%	93.9%

Weather in Nantucket

July highs average 75.4°F and January lows 26.6°F. About 40.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 25.3 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 85 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Nantucket Mem Ap station (3.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Nantucket since 1950.

Severe weather in Nantucket County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Nantucket County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Nantucket County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
September 15, 2023	Hurricane	EM-3599: Hurricane Lee
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3438: Covid-19
June 25, 2018	Severe Storm	DR-4372: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding
April 13, 2015	Severe Storm	DR-4214: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Nantucket County

Nantucket County had 8,560 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $78,799 a year. Unemployment was 5.8% in 2023; in Nantucket itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Nantucket

4 public schools with 1,683 students, about 10.7 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Nantucket High	9-12	593	12.4
Nantucket Elementary	PK-2	397	9.5
Cyrus Peirce	6-8	353	11.0
Nantucket Intermediate School	3-5	340	9.4

Towns near Nantucket

Nantucket, MA
1.6 mi · 10,166 people · home $1,465,300
Edgartown, MA
20.5 mi · 5,168 people · home $1,199,300
Chatham, MA
23.5 mi · 6,594 people · home $942,800
West Yarmouth, MA
25.6 mi · 6,278 people · home $494,600
Dennis Port, MA
26.0 mi · 3,487 people · home $523,900
Oak Bluffs, MA
26.1 mi · 5,341 people · home $923,100
South Yarmouth, MA
26.3 mi · 11,703 people · home $541,700
Yarmouth, MA
27.1 mi · 25,023 people · home $551,800

Nantucket questions

Is Nantucket, Massachusetts a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Nantucket scores better for retirees than 32% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 30%. 16.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.4).

How much does a house cost in Nantucket?

The median owner-occupied home in Nantucket is valued at $1,593,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $139,688, so homes cost about 11.4 times income. Median rent is $2,213 a month.

What is the weather like in Nantucket?

July highs average 75.4°F and January lows 26.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.9 inches of precipitation a year and 25.3 inches of snow.

Does Nantucket get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Nantucket in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Nantucket's Census boundary (GEOID 2501943790). Comparisons use the median of Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.