Moving to
Nantucket.

All Nantucket data Compare Nantucket

10,017people live here $148,017median household income▲ 83% above US $2,228median rent per month▲ 58% above US $1,465,300median home value▲ 340% above US

Nantucket is an unincorporated community in Nantucket County, MA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Nantucket

Nantucket is an unincorporated community in Massachusetts with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Nantucket deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Short commutes
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Above-average unemployment in the county
High rent burden for renters
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Nantucket compares

Median household income

Nantucket$148,017

Massachusetts avg$103,960

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Nantucket$2,228

Massachusetts avg$1,762

US$1,413

Median home value

Nantucket$1,465,300

Massachusetts avg$562,100

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Nantucket

Based on Nantucket's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,456

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $89,120 a year
50% of Nantucket renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$293,060

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $146,530
Homes cost 9.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 58% above US

$2,228/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,228 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,465,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $1,465,300 · 50% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

7.2% county unemployment

Unemployment in Nantucket County is 7.2%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Nantucket County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 44% below US

183 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1119/100k · Nantucket Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 37% below US

16 min average commute

Commutes run short here, averaging 16.3 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

69%

Work from home

14%

Walk

7.9%

Carpool

5.4%

Other

3.0%

Public transit

0.7%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 73°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 47% above US

53% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Cape Cod National Seashore (44 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Nantucket's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,228/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone moving without a job lined up.

See all the data for Nantucket →·All Massachusetts cities →