Health · Nantucket

Nantucket, MA health

Nantucket differs from Massachusetts on 13 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (7.4% vs 11.9%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (9.1% vs 12.4%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 02554, 02564
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Nantucket’s Health Grade: A

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Nantucket is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns and 77% of Massachusetts towns.

ASelf-rated healthAPhysical distressA-Mental distressAObesityA+DiabetesASmokingAExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 94%
Less healthyHealthier
Massachusetts towns we grade (320)Healthier than 77%
Towns with similar incomes, $105K–$175K (3,501)Healthier than 82%

About what its income would suggest. Nantucket does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Nantucket could be anywhere from A− to A+.
How the Health Grade works
  • Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Massachusetts ranking.
  • Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
  • Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Nantucket with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
  • Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Nantucket’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card

How Nantucket compares with Massachusetts

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Nantucket adults…

29 of every 100 Nantucket adults have high blood pressure
Massachusetts: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 24.5–32.6%

Bars show Nantucket; the black tick is Massachusetts. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Nantucket, betterNantucket, worseToo close to callMassachusetts
Get no exerciseshare of adults 17.3% Nantucket
MA 21.7%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31.2% Nantucket
MA 33.6%
Binge drinkshare of adults 18.8% Nantucket
MA 17%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 9.4% Nantucket
MA 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Nantucket adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.

81%
Yearly checkup
MA 81%
75%
Dentist visit
MA 70%
91%
Cholesterol check
MA 90%
71%
Colon screening
MA 68%
84%
Mammogram
MA 84%
74%
Taking BP meds
MA 75%
1 in 21
working-age adults has no health insurance
Nantucket 4.8% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)
Mind & connection

How Nantucket adults are doing

1 in 3Nantucket adults feel lonely
32.2% · Massachusetts 34.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Nantucket adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.9% · Massachusetts 23.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Nantucket adults lack social or emotional support
21.7% · Massachusetts 23.4% · too close to call
1 in 7Nantucket adults are in frequent mental distress
14.9% · Massachusetts 16.2% · too close to call
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 11
Nantucket adults worry about having enough food
9.1% · MA 12.4% · better
1 in 11
Nantucket adults worry about keeping their housing
9.2% · MA 11.1% · better
1 in 17
Nantucket adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.8% · MA 7% · better
1 in 17
Nantucket adults lack reliable transportation
5.9% · MA 7.6% · better

9.6% of Nantucket adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.

Disability

Living with a disability

23.6%

of Nantucket adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs9.3%
Thinking or memory11.8%
Hearing5.3%
Errands alone5.7%
Vision3.2%
Dressing or bathing2.5%

Black tick: Massachusetts. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Getting care

Care in and near Nantucket

1 hospital in Nantucket, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERNantucket Cottage HospitalNantucket · 1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMartha's Vineyard Hospital★★★★★ · 27.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careIsland HealthEdgartown · 23.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1 mi
Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Nantucket · ★★★★★
ERIn Nantucket
23.3 mi
Island Health
2 sites · nearest in Edgartown
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
26.2 mi
Harwich Port Health Center
Harwich Port · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
26.5 mi
Cape Cod Hospital
Hyannis · ★★★★★
ER
27.4 mi
Martha's Vineyard Hospital
Oak Bluffs · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
32.9 mi
Falmouth Hospital
Falmouth · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careNantucket's county is a federal shortage area.Nantucket County · need score 11 of 25
✓ Dental careNantucket is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNantucket is not a shortage area

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Nantucket. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Nantucket
MeasureNantucketMarginMassachusetts
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure28.5%24.5–32.6%30.9%about the same
High cholesterol34.2%29.8–38.9%35.4%about the same
Obesity27.4%20–35.5%27.7%about the same
Arthritis24.6%21.4–27.8%25.4%about the same
Depression22.9%19.3–26.8%23.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)7.4%5.8–9.2%11.9%better
Asthma11.1%9.8–12.5%11.6%about the same
Cancer (not skin)8.7%7.9–9.6%8.5%about the same
Diabetes8.3%7–9.6%9.8%better
COPD4.7%4.1–5.3%5.9%better
Heart disease5%4.5–5.6%5.8%better
Stroke2.5%2.3–2.8%3%better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes9.4%7.8–11%11.3%better
Binge drink18.8%15.4–22.7%17%about the same
Get no exercise17.3%14–21%21.7%better
Sleep under 7 hours31.2%24.6–37.9%33.6%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup80.8%77.2–84.1%80.9%about the same
Dentist visit75%71.8–77.9%69.8%better
Cholesterol check91%89.6–92.2%89.7%about the same
Colon screening70.7%65.8–75.2%68.4%about the same
Mammogram83.5%77–88.6%83.7%about the same
Taking BP meds74.4%70.9–77.7%75.4%about the same
No health insurance4.8%4–5.7%5.2%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely32.2%27.2–37.7%34.2%about the same
Lack emotional support21.7%18.4–25.2%23.4%about the same
Frequent mental distress14.9%13.1–16.8%16.2%about the same
Fair or poor health13.2%11.3–15.1%16.3%better
Frequent physical distress10.8%9.4–12.3%12.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity9.1%7.5–10.8%12.4%better
Housing insecurity9.2%7.8–10.7%11.1%better
Utility shut-off threat5.8%5–6.7%7%better
No reliable transportation5.9%5.1–6.7%7.6%better
Receive SNAP9.6%8.1–11.4%14.1%
Disability
Any disability23.6%19.9–27.5%27.3%
Walking or climbing stairs9.3%8–10.8%11.6%
Thinking or memory11.8%10.3–13.2%13.7%
Hearing5.3%4.8–6.1%6%
Vision3.2%2.8–3.5%4.1%
Dressing or bathing2.5%2.2–2.7%3.1%
Errands alone5.7%5.1–6.5%7.2%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Nantucket door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Massachusetts figure falls inside it, we don't call Nantucket better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Nantucket by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Nantucket by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Massachusetts figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01