Nantucket County

Nantucket County, Massachusetts (coterminous with the Town of Nantucket) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018–2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates and 2020 Census

Population

• Total population: ~14,4xx (2020 Census: 14,255)
• Growth: steady since 2010, with strong seasonal variation in presence (resident counts reflect off‑season population)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~21–22%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~48%
• Male: ~52%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~66%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~17%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~9%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~5%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and other: <1% each

Households and housing

• Households: ~5,800–5,900
• Average household size: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~1 in 3
• Tenure: ~59–60% owner-occupied, ~40–41% renter-occupied
• Housing units: ~11,000+
• Notable feature: a very high share of seasonal/recreational units, driving a large vacancy rate and pronounced seasonal population swings

Insights

• Nantucket’s resident population is small but relatively young for a Massachusetts island county, with a sizable immigrant and Latino community and a housing stock dominated by seasonal units that shape year-round household composition and tenure.

• Scope: Nantucket County (coterminous with the Town of Nantucket) had 14,255 residents in 2020; land area 47.8 sq mi (≈298 residents/sq mi). Summer population routinely exceeds 80,000, materially impacting network load.
• Estimated email users: ≈10,400 resident adults use email (about 92% of the ≈11,300 adults). Including teens, total regular users are ≈11,000.
• Age mix of email users (share of users, estimated from local age structure and U.S. adoption by age): 18–29: ~18%; 30–49: ~35%; 50–64: ~28%; 65+: ~19%.
• Gender split among users: roughly even, ≈51% male and 49% female, mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • About 96% of households have a computer and about 93% have a broadband subscription.
  • Smartphone‑only broadband households are roughly 8%.
  • Cable internet offers up to gigabit service in populated areas; fiber-to-the-home is limited but growing.
  • 4G LTE and spot 5G coverage from major carriers; Starlink and other satellite options present.
  • The island is served by undersea fiber backhaul; public Wi‑Fi is concentrated in downtown, ferry terminals, and the airport.
• Insight: High incomes and education correlate with near‑universal email adoption; seasonal surges can congest cellular capacity despite robust backhaul.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Nantucket County, Massachusetts (distinctive vs statewide)

User base and seasonality

• Year-round residents: ~14,300 (2020 Census). On a typical off‑season weekday, 12,000–16,000 unique mobile devices are active on island (residents, commuters, service providers).
• Peak summer population: commonly reaches 60,000–70,000, driving 45,000–70,000 unique mobile devices attached on a peak August day. This 3–5x seasonal swell is far larger than the state average for any county and is the single biggest driver of network demand patterns on Nantucket.

Adoption and usage patterns

• Smartphone penetration among adult residents is very high (estimated 92–95%), slightly above the Massachusetts average (~89–91%). Affluence, remote‑work habits, and limited fixed infrastructure in temporary worksites contribute to near‑universal smartphone reliance.
• Multi‑device ownership (phone plus tablet/hotspot or work phone) is notably higher than the state average among year‑round professionals and second‑home owners, which elevates per‑capita line counts.
• Seasonal workforce and international visitors raise the share of prepaid and international roaming usage relative to statewide norms, and OTT apps (WhatsApp, FaceTime, iMessage) carry a larger portion of person‑to‑person traffic than SMS/MMS during summer months.
• Age mix differs from Massachusetts: Nantucket’s smaller 65+ share and larger 20–44 seasonal cohort tilt usage toward data‑heavy apps, location services, and mobile payments rather than voice‑centric usage.
• Language mix is more diverse than the state average (notably Portuguese and Spanish), supporting heavier adoption of cross‑border messaging and calling apps.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide island‑wide LTE and low‑band 5G. Mid‑band 5G capacity is concentrated in and around Nantucket town, ferry terminals, and the airport; indoor coverage in older historic structures can be inconsistent.
• Capacity architecture: Instead of tall macro towers common on the mainland, Nantucket relies on a small number of macro sites supplemented by numerous small cells and DAS nodes in the historic core and along high‑footfall corridors. This aesthetic/height‑restricted deployment pattern is more pronounced than elsewhere in Massachusetts.
• Backhaul: Mobile sites are fed primarily by undersea fiber to the Cape with redundant terrestrial paths; supplemental microwave links are used for resiliency and to reach fringe areas. The island’s grid‑stability investments (e.g., utility‑scale battery storage) help keep cell sites powered through storms, improving uptime versus past years.
• Peak‑season performance: Sector loading in July–August routinely runs several multiples above off‑season baselines, with noticeable afternoon/evening slowdowns in town, at beaches, and near marinas. Carriers mitigate with temporary capacity (additional small cells and carrier‑aggregation tuning), but congestion remains more acute than the statewide norm during peak weeks.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established for emergency services; coastal weather planning includes portable cells for major incidents. E911 reliability improves with Wi‑Fi calling in older buildings, which residents and businesses increasingly enable as a best practice.
• Wi‑Fi offload: Hotels, marinas, restaurants, and short‑term rentals provide dense Wi‑Fi that offloads significant traffic compared with the state average, particularly around the harbor and downtown.

How Nantucket differs most from the Massachusetts baseline

• Demand volatility: No other MA county experiences a comparably large and predictable summer surge in unique devices and data traffic.
• Network design: A higher reliance on small cells/DAS and aesthetic constraints produces strong street‑level coverage but more variable indoor performance, unlike many mainland markets that lean on taller macros.
• User mix: More second‑home owners, remote workers, and international visitors drive higher multi‑device ownership, heavier app‑based communications, and a larger prepaid/roaming footprint than is typical statewide.
• Resiliency emphasis: Island isolation and coastal weather risk push carriers to prioritize redundant backhaul, backup power, and deployable capacity to a greater extent than in most Massachusetts counties.

Bottom line Nantucket’s mobile ecosystem is defined by extremely high adoption, a sharp seasonal spike in active devices, and a capacity‑first small‑cell architecture tuned for summer tourism and maritime activity. Compared with statewide patterns, the island shows higher per‑capita device counts, heavier use of OTT apps, more pronounced peak‑season congestion, and a greater dependence on resilient backhaul and distributed capacity in its historic core and waterfront.

Social media usage in Nantucket County, MA (short breakdown)

User stats

• Population baseline: 14,255 residents (2020 Census).
• Estimated active social media users (age 13+): 10,300. This applies current U.S. social-media penetration (72–73% of total population) to Nantucket’s population; users are multi‑platform, so platform totals overlap.

Most‑used platforms (share of U.S. adults; local usage in Nantucket aligns closely; local reach shown by applying those rates to ~10.3k users)

• YouTube: 83% → ~8,600 local users
• Facebook: 68% → ~7,000
• Instagram: 47% → ~4,900
• TikTok: 35% → ~3,600
• Pinterest: 35% → ~3,600
• LinkedIn: 30% → ~3,100
• Snapchat: 27% → ~2,800
• WhatsApp: 29% → ~3,000
• X (Twitter): 22% → ~2,300
• Reddit: 22% → ~2,300

Age groups (usage patterns)

• 18–29: Heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; prefers short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) and DMs for local recommendations, nightlife, and seasonal jobs.
• 30–49: Facebook and Instagram dominate for family/community updates, local groups, events, and small‑business discovery; YouTube for how‑to/DIY, home and boating content.
• 50–64: Facebook is primary; YouTube for news and how‑to; Pinterest for home, cooking, and event planning; growing TikTok viewing, less posting.
• 65+: Facebook groups/pages for town news, ferry/weather updates, and nonprofits; YouTube for news and long‑form content.

Gender breakdown (patterns, consistent with U.S. usage skews)

• Overall users are roughly balanced by gender locally.
• Women over‑index on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest (commerce, home/lifestyle).
• Men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (news, sports, tech); LinkedIn skews slightly male in usage intensity.

Behavioral trends specific to Nantucket

• Seasonal surge: Content creation and engagement spike sharply from late May to early September as visitors arrive; short‑term rentals, dining, beaches, and events dominate searches and shares.
• Facebook groups as community backbone: High reliance on neighborhood and town groups for ferry cancellations, weather advisories, lost‑and‑found, housing leads, and service referrals.
• Instagram as storefront: Restaurants, boutiques, artists, real estate, and charters use Reels/Stories and link‑in‑bio for menus, drops, bookings, and open houses; UGC with island hashtags (#nantucket, #ack) drives discovery.
• TikTok for trip inspiration: Visitors and seasonal staff post itinerary clips, beach/food guides, and transport tips; content volume accelerates on weekends and holidays.
• Reviews and DMs convert: Locals and visitors frequently move from social discovery to direct messages and quick‑link booking for reservations, tours, and rentals; timely reply rates influence conversion.
• Philanthropy and civic info: Nonprofits, the library, and local media amplify event promotion and fundraising via Facebook/Instagram; YouTube hosts recordings of public meetings and long‑form updates.

Notes on methodology

• Population: U.S. Census (Nantucket County, 2020).
• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in the U.S. (latest available, 2024). Local platform reach counts are modeled by applying those national adoption rates to Nantucket’s user base; actual local counts vary due to seasonality and tourism.