Left Behind?

Nantucket has always told certain stories about itself — whaling captains, sea captains, resilience, and the belief that the island takes care of its own.

 

But beneath that image, the island’s year-round population is aging, and the math of who can afford to live and work here is becoming harder to ignore. At the same time, a network of organizations — volunteers, nonprofits, and public services — works every day to support older residents.

 

The question is not whether Nantucket cares about its elders. The question is whether the island can keep up with what the numbers suggest is coming.

 

The Graying of the Grey Lady

Nantucket’s median age now sits around 47, several years older than the Massachusetts average. Nearly one in five year-round residents is over 65, a proportion that has steadily increased as housing prices push younger families off the island while longtime residents remain.

 

For a community of roughly 15,000 year-round residents, that shift carries real consequences. Demand is rising for healthcare, transportation, housing assistance, and daily support services that allow older residents to remain in their homes. Much of that support already exists, provided by a network of organizations that operate quietly but consistently across the island.

 

The Island’s Senior Support Network

The center of that network is the Nantucket Council on Aging, based at the Saltmarsh Senior Center. The organization serves as the island’s primary hub for older residents, offering wellness programs, exercise classes, transportation assistance, social gatherings, health screenings, and help navigating benefits and services.

 

For residents who have difficulty leaving home, Meals on Wheels provides regular food deliveries through a volunteer network coordinated locally with the Council on Aging. The program ensures that seniors who are isolated or mobility-limited still receive consistent meals and daily contact.

 

Transportation is another key service. Seniors can use the NRTA Wave buses, which provide free rides for older residents across the island. In addition, the Council on Aging operates transportation programs and coordinates volunteer drivers who help residents reach medical appointments, grocery stores, and other essential errands.

 

Other organizations contribute important pieces of the support system. Fairwinds –— Nantucket’s Behavioral Health Center provides mental health and counseling services, including support for aging residents and caregivers. The Nantucket Interfaith Council and other volunteer groups often assist seniors through informal networks that provide companionship, assistance, and occasional transportation.

 

Housing organizations also play a role. Housing Nantucket, Habitat for Humanity and the Nantucket Housing Authority manage or advocate for affordable housing units, including some designed for seniors, though supply remains extremely limited.

 

Taken together, these services form somewhat of a safety net that helps many older residents remain on the island as they age.

 

Our Island Home: The Final Safety Net

At the center of Nantucket’s elder care system sits Our Island Home, the island’s only skilled nursing and long-term care facility.  For residents who can no longer live independently, the facility provides the highest level of care available on island. In practice, it functions as the community’s final safety net for aging residents.

 

Demand for beds has grown as the population ages, and the facility now operates at or near capacity. Efforts to build a replacement facility for the aging building have become one of the most debated capital projects in recent town discussions.

 

Supporters argue the new facility is essential to maintaining local care for seniors who can no longer live independently. Opponents question whether the cost of a new building is justified for a community with a relatively small population.

 

During a December 2025 discussion, longtime volunteer Mary Graves described the stakes:


"Our Island Home is a family. The quality of care, you can’t get anywhere else. The building is tired, yes. But if we don’t do this — where will these residents go?”
 

 

Without the facility, many residents would likely need to relocate to mainland nursing homes, placing significant distance between them and their families.

 

Senior Housing: The Hardest Piece

Housing may be the most difficult challenge facing older residents on Nantucket.

 

An island housing assessment estimated that only about 35 year-round rental units are available across the entire island. That figure applies to the entire population, not just seniors.

 

For residents living on fixed incomes, rising property taxes, maintenance costs, and healthcare expenses can make remaining on the island increasingly difficult. Senior-specific housing is limited, and waiting lists for affordable units are long.

 

At a December town meeting, resident Mary Longacre warned that losing the island’s older population could have ripple effects throughout the community.

 

“You don’t want the elderly population leaving Nantucket,” she said. “We’re the ones delivering Meals on Wheels. We’re the ones volunteering.”

 

Her point reflects a broader truth: many of the island’s volunteer networks rely heavily on retirees and longtime residents.

 

Healthcare Staffing: A Hidden Pressure

Another challenge sits behind the healthcare system itself: staffing.

 

Nantucket Cottage Hospital has invested more than $6 million in employee housing in an effort to recruit and retain nurses and medical staff. Even with those investments, housing costs remain one of the largest barriers to maintaining a stable workforce.

 

Surveys indicate that nearly 60 percent of hospital employees cite housing as the primary obstacle to staying on the island long-term. Without nurses, aides, and healthcare workers, the entire network of senior care services — from hospital care to long-term care facilities — becomes harder to sustain.

 

The Uncomfortable Ledger

Debates about elder care on Nantucket often come down to cost.

 

Capital projects and infrastructure investments sometimes move forward with relatively little resistance. But when proposals involve healthcare facilities, housing programs, or expanded social services, discussions frequently shift toward cost-benefit calculations.

 

Select Board Chair Brooke Mohr summarized the dilemma during a 2025 meeting.
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“The crisis we’re facing is not just about buildings. It’s about the people who live here year-round — our elders, our caregivers, our teachers. Without them, Nantucket is not a community. It’s just a resort.”

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Others argue that the town must weigh long-term financial sustainability and avoid major capital spending that may strain taxpayers. The tension reflects a broader reality facing many small coastal communities with aging populations.

 

The Real Risk

Nantucket does not lack compassion or support systems for its elders. In fact, the island’s network of nonprofit organizations, volunteers, healthcare providers, and public programs is unusually strong for a town of its size.

 

But that network was built for a smaller and younger population. As the island continues to age, demand for services may begin to outpace the capacity of the institutions that support older residents today. The risk is not that Nantucket does not care for its elders, it’s  that the island may eventually become too expensive to care for them at all.

 

And if that happens, the community will lose more than residents. It will lose history, volunteers, mentors, and the backbone that helps sustain island life long after the summer crowds have gone.

 

- Kayley Jensen
Creative & Content Contributor

3/9/26

As Nantucket debates how to meet the needs of its aging population, the future of Our Island Home will return to voters this spring. In advance of that decision, the Community Foundation for Nantucket has reopened the Our Island Home Campaign Fund, which will accept commitments of support toward the proposed 45-bed skilled nursing facility at Sherburne Commons if voters approve the project at the May 4, 2026 Annual Town Meeting and again at the May 19 Town Election. Those interested in supporting the effort or learning more about the fund can visit the Community Foundation’s campaign page here.

More information about the effort is available through Friends of Our Island Home.