Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety92#78/924
Economy95#48/925
Housing17#764/925
Health100#2/925
Healthcare59#375/923
Environment98#17/917
Education96#37/925
Infrastructure99#8/925
Community96#36/925
Leisure & amenities100#4/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Nantucket, MA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Traffic deaths · low4.1 /100k
100/100Massachusetts 5.4 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · low3.2%
100/100Massachusetts 9.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Child poverty rate · low0.8%
100/100Massachusetts 11.4%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001High uncertainty
Restaurants and bars · high39.3 /10k
100/100Massachusetts 9.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · high5.4 /10k
100/100Massachusetts 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · low2.3 mi
100/100Massachusetts 4.1 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high11.4×
0/100Massachusetts 5.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Flu vaccinations · low20.0%
0/100Massachusetts 55.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high7.2%
2/100Massachusetts 4.5%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Drought exposure · high99%
2/100Massachusetts 44%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · high18.4%
11/100Massachusetts 17.3%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high54.6%
14/100Massachusetts 51.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
15% (2021) → 99% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+84 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Firearm deathsImproving
13.3 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Suicide rateImproving
17.1 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Mammography screeningImproving
41.0% (2019) → 61.0% (2023)
+20 pts4 yearsUS 43.0% → 46.0%
High ozone daysImproving
4 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Voter turnoutWorsening
87.3% (2020) → 67.3% (2024)
−20 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Nantucket, MA micropolitan area improved on 11 of 21 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 0 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Suicides−100%15.0 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Firearm deaths−100%12.7 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Grocery stores+29%2.1 /10k → 2.7 /10k
Real income+43%$91,867 → $131,031
Traffic deaths−23%5.4 /100k → 4.1 /100k

Declined7

Libraries−23%0.9 /10k → 0.7 /10k
High school+−2.5 points95.6% → 93.2%
Commute+4.0 min12.0 min → 16.0 min

All 21 measures

Change of every measure of Nantucket, MA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	21.8 /10k2020	27.1 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	80%
Average commute time	12.0 min2015-2019	16.0 min2020-2024	+4.0 min	Declined	2%
Bachelor's degree or higher	52.8%2015-2019	56.3%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Improved	66%
Broadband subscriptions	91.7%2015-2019	95.3%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Improved	3%
Distance to an airport	76 mi2020	76 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	77%
Drug overdose deaths	13.6 /100k2020	13.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−2.9%	Little change

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Nantucket, MA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Nantucket, MA micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Nantucket, MA micropolitan area itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 22 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

14,483 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

5,252 households (±364)

Nantucket, MA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k4.9%†255
$25k–50k5.7%†299
$50k–75k18%†969

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

5,252 households (±364)

Nantucket, MA micropolitan area
United States share

Own72%3,770
Rent28%1,482

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

8,095 workers (±428)

Nantucket, MA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone68%5,494
Carpool6.0%†487
Public transit0.7%†60

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Nantucket, MA micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Nantucket, MA has 1,317 employer establishments, 904 for every 10,000 residents (3.64× the US rate of 248), with 5,626 paid employees at an average annual pay of $96,150. The Census Bureau also counts 3,262 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,317; 3,262 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 904; US 248
Paid employees: 5,626
Average annual pay: $96,150; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Nantucket, MA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	268	184	11.9×More than typical	842	$91,138	544
Construction of buildings	181	124	16.4×More than typical	381	$84,682	325
Services to buildings and dwellings	139	95.5	14.2×More than typical	579	$111,145	312
Building finishing contractors	113	77.6	20.4×More than typical	237	$90,688	376
Landscaping services	105	72.1	20.6×More than typical	531	$110,621	106
Building equipment contractors	82	56.3	9.36×More than typical	332	$92,620	46
Restaurants and other eating places	80	54.9	2.99×More than typical	486	$129,821	14
Lessors of real estate	76	52.2	4.24×More than typical	126	$127,444	486
Full-service restaurants	50	34.3	4.47×More than typical	386	$139,461	9
Clothing and accessories stores	49	33.6	9.28×More than typical	146	$64,897	26
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	43	29.5	8.94×More than typical	155	$107,245	33
Other specialty trade contractors	40	27.5	10.9×More than typical	179	$105,413	62

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 14,562 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.5M on contracts performed in Nantucket, MA micropolitan area: $102 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.5M; +1,398% vs FY2025
Per resident: $102; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

U.S. Coast Guard$1.5M99.6%
Federal Aviation Administration$6,2980.4%

Top recipients

APPLEDORE MARINE ENGINEERING, LLC$1.5M100%
UNITED RENTALS (NORTH AMERICA), INC.$6,2980.4%
DOYON MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC-$20.5K0.0%

Spending by fiscal year

4.2MFY2017
1MFY2018
507.9KFY2019
575.8KFY2020
6.8MFY2021
1.6MFY2022
4.2MFY2023
1.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1.5M100%
Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing · 5324$6,2980.4%

Largest awards

ARCHITECT ENGINEER DESIGN SERVICES FOR RECAPITALIZE WATERFRONT AT STATION BRANT POINT$1.5M
APPLEDORE MARINE ENGINEERING, LLC· Nantucket County, MA· Construction & real property· Sep 24, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026· 70Z0G126FSSNE0002
REPLACE MARINE FUELING SYSTEM, STATION BRANT POINT$1.2M
DOYON MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC· Nantucket County, MA· Construction & real property· Aug 12, 2024 – Feb 5, 2026· 70Z0G124FABCD0010
EMERGENCY RENTAL OF AIR CONDITION 25-30 TON WITH HEAT 480V AS OUTLINED IN RENTAL QUOTE #248755042. RENTAL TERM OF 06/11/2025 - 09/03/2025.$33.7K
UNITED RENTALS (NORTH AMERICA), INC.· Nantucket County, MA· Construction & real property· Jul 24, 2025 – Nov 7, 2025· 697DCK25P00074

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $60.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Nantucket, MA micropolitan area: $4,076 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $60.2M; +0.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,076; US $12,955
Loan face value: $5.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$48.7M81%
20.117 · Airport Infrastructure Grants$4.3M7.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$2.7M4.4%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$1.8M3.0%
20.270 · Construction of Ferry Boats and Ferry Terminal Facilities Program (FBP)$1.1M1.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$1.1M1.8%
20.116 · Airport Improvement Program$475.7K0.8%
10.427 · Rural Rental Assistance Payments$431.3K0.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

TOWN OF NANTUCKET$3.5M5.8%
NANTUCKET, MA
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$1.4M2.3%
BOSTON, MA
NANTUCKET COMMUNITY SERVICE INC$256.3K0.4%
NANTUCKET, MA
NANTUCKET COMMUNITY SERVICE LL INC$64.5K0.1%
NANTUCKET, MA
COMCAST BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS, LLC

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$53.4M89%
Federal Aviation Administration$3.5M5.8%
Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration$1.4M2.3%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$1.3M2.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Rural Housing Service

Assistance by fiscal year

50.9MFY2021
51.8MFY2022
88.2MFY2023
59.1MFY2024
60.1MFY2025
60.2MFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Nantucket, MA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Nantucket CountyCentral county9714,758

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

NantucketPrincipal city10,017

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Massachusetts

Areas based in Massachusetts, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M34880

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Nantucket, MA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Nantucket, MA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Massachusetts

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought