Nantucket County, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Nantucket County, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Massachusetts
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A
Income Above averageWealthiest county in Massachusetts
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Nantucket County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,483 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 47.7 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 4.09% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.8 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,252 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Nantucket County grew by 31.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,483 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Nantucket County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.4% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,466 17.0% -4.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,535 24.4% +2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,491 24.1% +3.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,327 16.1% -1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 47.6% of the people living in Nantucket County and men 52.4%.
- Women 47.6% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 52.4% Massachusetts 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Nantucket County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Nantucket County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Nantucket County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $142,551 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.22% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Nantucket County is about 37% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Nantucket County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,416,666 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,213 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Nantucket County is about 53.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,213 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Nantucket County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 107 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Nantucket County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.8 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.6 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 107 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,313 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.0% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,294 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Massachusetts:
Nantucket County (12.8 min), Dukes County (15.4 min), Berkshire County (16.8 min).
Slowest:
Norfolk County (31.0 min), Suffolk County (30.4 min), Middlesex County (28.4 min).
The average commute time in Nantucket County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Nantucket County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Nantucket County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.7% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.71 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.5), Norfolk County (0.4), Nantucket County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.3), Bristol County (0.3), Berkshire County (0.3).
Health
Nantucket County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Nantucket County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.6% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.8), Hampshire County (0.8), Norfolk County (0.8).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.8), Bristol County (0.8), Worcester County (0.8).
Nantucket County, MA Compared With Nearby Counties
Nantucket County, MA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 14,483 residents against a local median of 231,272. Nantucket County, MA's median home price, at $1,416,666, runs 210% above the $456,969 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $142,551 against a local median of $103,981, 37% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Nantucket County, MA is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread $1,114,771 on median home price, so Nantucket County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Nantucket County, MA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket County, MA | 14,483 | $142,551 #1/6 | $1,416,666 #2/6 | 12.8 min #1/6 |
| Barnstable County, MA | 231,272 | $95,861 | $446,620 | 18.8 min |
| Dukes County, MA | 20,933 | $126,345 | $1,481,817 | 15.4 min |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | $114,939 | $463,963 | 28.0 min |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | $85,695 | $367,046 | 23.2 min |
| Newport County, RI | 84,657 | $103,981 | $456,969 | 17.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Nantucket County, Massachusetts.
What is the population of Nantucket County, Massachusetts?
About 14,483 people live in Nantucket County, Massachusetts, in 5,252 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 40.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Nantucket County, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Nantucket County, Massachusetts has 48 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 55% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Nantucket County, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 9.9 times the median household income ($1,416,666 against $142,551), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,213 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Nantucket County, Massachusetts?
53.7% of adults in Nantucket County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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