Dukes
Massachusetts

What stands out

What stands out about Dukes County: the median home price is among the priciest in America ($1.6M), the home price against local income is among the most stretched in America (8.2 years of income), and the restaurant count per person is among the most in America (3.7 per 1,000). Within Massachusetts it ranks 2nd of 14 counties for the median home price.

Where you are

You live in Dukes County, Massachusetts. 20,543 people live here with you. The population shrank 0.7% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -324).

Massachusetts has a flat 5% income tax plus a 4% surtax on income above about $1 million, an estate tax that begins at $2 million, and some of the highest home prices in the country inside Route 128. It does not tax Social Security. Health insurance coverage is the highest of any state, a legacy of the 2006 reform that preceded the federal law.

Money

The typical household here brings in $93,225 a year, higher than 95% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $71,428. Unemployment runs 5.2%, higher than 91% of American counties. 18% of workers work from home.

Massachusetts takes 5.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $4,661 a year.

Home

The median home costs $1.6M, pricier than almost every county in America, about 8.2 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $1,516 a month. Property tax is 0.50% of home value, roughly $4,970 a year on that median home, lower than 88% of American counties. 77% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 2.9 per 1,000 residents, lower than 96% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 21 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 82.1 years, longer than 98% of American counties. There are 52 active physicians in the county, about 25.3 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 4.0 of 5 stars. 4.9% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.41 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 87% of American counties. 94% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 45 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 95% of eligible voters turned out. Under Massachusetts law you need local approval to carry a concealed handgun, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 51°F, highs near 59 and lows near 43, colder than 69% of American counties. About 40 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 44 out of 100, safer than 56% of American counties; the county has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 240 Mbps down, faster than 69% of American counties. There are 4 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 3.7 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 2 breweries, 5 museums.