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Massachusetts · Nantucket Island · Atlantic · #296
Nantucket County, Massachusetts
Nantucket - the former whaling capital of the world and America's most exclusive island address, where cobblestone streets, grey-shingled cottages, and hedge-fund summer residents have created the most expensive real estate market in Massachusetts. The Grey Lady 30 miles out to sea. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Nantucket County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Nantucket County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Nantucket Office of Emergency Management (OEM) – coordinates disaster planning, mitigation, and financial recovery for the island; register for CivicReady alerts for emergency and routine notifications.
Sheriff: Nantucket County Sheriff’s Department – Sheriff James A. Perelman; provides transportation of detainees/inmates to and from Trial Court divisions and to the Barnstable County House of Correction via boat or plane (Nantucket has no jail of its own – the Sheriff maintains a close contractual partnership with the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office for incarceration of persons sentenced from Nantucket District or Superior Court).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: Reached via ferry (Steamship Authority, Hy-Line Cruises) or Nantucket Memorial Airport; the island has no land connections to the mainland.
Notes: Nantucket has no land-border neighbors, being an island roughly 30 miles off Cape Cod.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Nantucket Registry of Deeds – confirm current contact via nantucket-ma.gov.
Notes: Nantucket is genuinely one of the most historically significant whaling ports in American history – in the 18th and early 19th centuries, before New Bedford’s rise, Nantucket was the world’s preeminent whaling capital, and the island’s maritime heritage directly influenced Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (in which Nantucket, not New Bedford, is presented as the true whaling epicenter). The Nantucket Whaling Museum, run by the Nantucket Historical Association and established in 1930, occupies the restored 1847 Hadwen & Barney Oil and Candle Factory and displays a suspended 46-foot sperm whale skeleton alongside artifacts from the island’s whale-oil-and-candle economy.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Nantucket Veterans Services – confirm current contact via nantucket-ma.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Nantucket Atheneum – confirm current address/phone via nantucket-ma.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Nantucket Whaling Museum, Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge at Great Point, and the island’s historic cobblestone downtown are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine whaling-capital heritage that shaped Moby-Dick is one of the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Nantucket Registry of Deeds – confirm current contact via nantucket-ma.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals (NiSHA) – 11 Crooked Lane, Nantucket, MA 02554; formed in October 2011 immediately after the closure of the island’s longtime MSPCA-run shelter (which had operated on Nantucket since 1950); a 501(c)(3) nonprofit renting space from the Offshore Animal Hospital, housing roughly 25 animals on-site with a network of foster homes for additional capacity; contracted with the Town of Nantucket to accept stray cats and dogs brought in by the town’s Animal Control Officer.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Town & County of Nantucket – confirm current contact via nantucket-ma.gov.
NOTES: Nantucket County is the third county in the second and final batch of the Massachusetts v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine whaling-capital heritage that shaped Moby-Dick is one of the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Nantucket County
Nantucket County is unique in Massachusetts – the county and the town are the same governmental entity, making Nantucket the only county in Massachusetts (and one of only a few in the United States) where the county and municipal governments are fully consolidated.
Nantucket Island – 30 miles south of Cape Cod – is the most remote and most expensive island real estate market in Massachusetts. The island’s remoteness (accessible only by ferry from Hyannis – a 2-hour trip – or by small plane from Hyannis, Boston, or New York) and its strict historical preservation codes (the entire island is within the Nantucket Historic District, the largest National Register Historic District in the United States) have preserved a character that genuine preservation and genuine wealth have combined to maintain.
The whaling era is Nantucket’s defining historical chapter – from approximately 1740 to 1850, Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world, sending ships into every ocean in pursuit of sperm whales whose oil lit the lamps of the 19th century. At the height of Nantucket’s whaling dominance, more than half the world’s whaling ships were owned or operated from the island. The Nantucket Whaling Museum – in the former candle factory and spermaceti works of the Nantucket Historical Association – is one of the finest maritime museums in America. Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (1851) was inspired by the sinking of the Nantucket whaleship Essex (1820), which was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale – an event so extraordinary that it was initially doubted.
The grey-shingled cottages of Nantucket – allowed to grey naturally in the salt air rather than painted – and the cobblestone streets of downtown Nantucket Town are the island’s signature visual identity. The island’s strict building codes and historic district regulations require that new construction match the grey-shingle character.
Nantucket’s summer population of ~80,000 (nearly six times the year-round population) includes a significant concentration of financial services professionals – hedge fund managers, private equity investors, and investment bankers for whom Nantucket’s exclusivity and remoteness are precisely the point.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Town of Nantucket Board of Assessors (16 Broad Street, Nantucket, 508-228-7215) assesses all Nantucket property at 100% of full and fair cash value. The town and county functions are consolidated.
Nantucket price context: Nantucket has the highest median home price in Massachusetts – by significant margin. The median transaction price regularly exceeds $3 million; oceanfront and historic district properties can transact at $10-50 million. At these price levels, assessment accuracy translates to significant annual tax differences.
The abatement process: File an abatement application with the Town Board of Assessors by February 1 of the fiscal year. If denied, appeal to the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board (ATB) within 3 months.
Massachusetts estate tax: Above $2 million (2025). For Nantucket property owners, even a modest year-round home puts the owner above the threshold when combined with retirement or investment assets. No Massachusetts inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: Nantucket February 1 abatement deadline – file with the Town of Nantucket Board of Assessors. At Nantucket’s price levels, assessment accuracy is among the highest-stakes in Massachusetts. Massachusetts estate tax at $2M affects every Nantucket property owner with any other assets. Ownwell manages the abatement with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Nantucket February 1 abatement deadline - file with the Town of Nantucket Board of Assessors. At Nantucket's price levels, assessment accuracy is among the highest-stakes in Massachusetts. Massachusetts estate tax at $2M affects every Nantucket property owner with any other assets. Ownwell manages the abatement with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Nantucket Superior Court at 16 Broad Street, Nantucket (508-228-0460) handles major civil and criminal matters. The Nantucket Probate and Family Court at 16 Broad Street (508-228-2559) handles all estate administration. The Nantucket Registry of Deeds (508-228-7250) at 16 Broad Street maintains all land records – searchable online at masslandrecords.com.
Massachusetts does not recognize Transfer on Death deeds. Massachusetts estate tax is the dominant planning issue for Nantucket property owners.
Historic District estate planning: Nantucket’s Historic District regulations – administered by the Historic District Commission – govern any exterior changes to buildings, including repairs and maintenance. Estate plans for Nantucket properties should address HDC obligations for heirs who may be unfamiliar with island regulations.
Nantucket Historical Association philanthropy: The NHA – which operates the Whaling Museum and maintains Nantucket’s extraordinary historic collection – receives significant planned gifts from island property owners. The whaling era’s extraordinary history and the island’s cultural significance make the NHA one of the most meaningful philanthropy recipients in Massachusetts outside of major urban institutions.
Nantucket Conservation Foundation: The NCF holds conservation easements on significant portions of Nantucket’s open space – conservation-minded island property owners frequently make planned gifts or conservation easement donations that reduce estate tax exposure while preserving the island’s character.
Senior Services: The Nantucket Cottage Hospital / Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands (508-394-4630) coordinates senior services, home-delivered meals, transportation, SHINE Medicare counseling, and connections to Massachusetts Medicaid programs for Nantucket residents.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS (Court Records)
16 Broad St., Nantucket, MA 02554
(508) 228-2559
ELECTIONS (Town Clerk)
16 Broad St., Nantucket, MA 02554
(508) 228-7217
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Nantucket Probate and Family Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
The Nantucket Historical Association maintains significant archives and genealogical materials documenting the island’s whaling-era and colonial families.
Local societies
Nantucket Historical Association confirmed as a dedicated local resource.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Nantucket Probate and Family Court 16 Broad Street, 2nd Floor (P.O. Box 1116), Nantucket, MA 02554 (508) 228-2669
Nantucket County comprises the island of Nantucket. It is Massachusetts’s smallest county by population.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Massachusetts adopted a version of the Uniform Probate Code (the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code, or MUPC), codified largely at Mass. Gen. Laws c. 190B.
Voluntary Administration – the simplest path, for estates consisting entirely of personal property valued at $25,000 or less (not counting one motor vehicle). The decedent must have been a Massachusetts resident with no real estate solely in their name, at least 30 days must have passed since death, and no formal or informal probate petition can be pending. Filed using the Voluntary Administration Statement (Form MPC 170) – the filer becomes the Voluntary Personal Representative with no court hearing required. Filing fee is $115.
Informal Probate – the standard track for most straightforward estates, whether the estate has a will or not. A Magistrate reviews the petition administratively; an informal probate order can issue within about 7 days of filing, though the full case (including the required waiting and notice periods) typically closes in roughly 9 to 14 months.
Formal Probate – required when the will is contested, there’s uncertainty about who should serve as personal representative, or other disputes require a judge’s decision after a hearing.
Summary Administration – under c. 190B §3-1203, available when the estate’s value doesn’t exceed the family allowance, exempt property, funeral expenses, and expenses of the last illness – allows the personal representative to distribute the estate immediately without notifying creditors.
Step 2: filing for probate
Determine which track fits: gather the death certificate, will (if any), and a rough inventory of assets to see whether Voluntary Administration, Informal, or Formal Probate applies.
File the appropriate petition with the Probate and Family Court in the county where the decedent resided.
For informal proceedings, the Magistrate reviews and, if in order, appoints the personal representative and issues Letters without a hearing.
The personal representative gathers assets, provides required notices, pays valid debts and taxes, and distributes what remains to the heirs or beneficiaries – Massachusetts generally requires estates be probated within 3 years of death.
What it costs
Voluntary Administration filing fee: $115.
Informal and formal probate filing fees vary by estate type and are set by the Trial Court’s fee schedule.
Massachusetts does not require an attorney for probate, though many families use one for anything beyond a small, simple estate.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
16 Broad St., Nantucket, MA 02554
(508) 228-1212
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (Town Clerk)
16 Broad St., Nantucket, MA 02554
(508) 228-7217
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MA Dept of Transitional Assistance
(877) 382-2363
MassHealth
(800) 841-2900
Nantucket Cottage Hospital
nantuckethospital.org (Nantucket — the island's critical access hospital; quality community care; Brigham and Women's affiliate)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Nantucket Health Department – confirm current phone via nantucket-ma.gov.
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