Social Environment 8.0: Introduction

Martha’s Vineyard is different. While its exceptional natural environment is immediately obvious, even a short-term visitor quickly discovers that the life on the Vineyard – the way people interact with each other and with their surroundings – is not entirely the same as on the mainland. The “social environment” of Martha’s Vineyard is rich and distinct, especially for a community whose year-round population is only about 16,000, swelling to a summer peak roughly five-fold in size. In addition to the native Wampanoags, strong, centuries-long Island-family lineages continue to exist among many year round residents. Many summer residents and even short-term seasonal visitors also have strong, multi-generational ties to the Vineyard that extend back in time longer than many year round residents.

Compilation of Cultures: The Vineyard community has been enriched by a succession of different groups.

The native people of the Island, the federally recognized Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), date back 10,000 years and continue to be a presence on the Island. From the 17^th Century onward, English settlers and their descendents became a dominant population. In the 18^th Century, the Island saw the origins of the Vineyard’s Portuguese population.

In the 19^th Century, the Island became a retreat destination for mainlanders seeking religious respite; thus began the dynamic between year round residents and visitors that still helps define the Island’s character. The Vineyard, and largely Oak Bluffs, became a popular vacation destination for African-Americans.

The Island’s population grew relatively slowly until the 1970s, but since then, has multiplied more than 2½ times, which is seven times faster than Massachusetts as a whole. A diverse influx of people was attracted to the Vineyard: people drawn by the beauty, beach, and boating who built summer homes; people who moved here for jobs and chose to stay; retirees and others seeking an alternative lifestyle to mainstream America.

 In recent years, there has been an influx of people from all parts of the globe, especially Brazil, that have become a substantial new component of the Vineyard community.

Changing Population: The huge increase in numbers of people living on and visiting the Vineyard over the past few decades has had profound impacts upon the community.

The desirability for people of means to vacation on and retire to the Island has greatly increased property values, pushing up the cost of living higher than the mainland. The increase in housing costs hit particularly hard those people newly entering the Vineyard real estate market, namely young adults and new residents. 

The Vineyard has fewer people between the ages of 15 and 35 as the Massachusetts average (21.2% compared to 27.5%) and the proportion of children is declining faster than elsewhere in the state. These factors combine to push the Vineyard’s median age four years beyond that of the Commonwealth’s (40 compared to 36 in 2000). 

Combined with the post WWII “baby-boom” cohort that is moving through all communities, by 2020, the year-round population between the ages of 60 and 70 will triple. A significant increase of seasonal residents moving here to retire would further increase that number. This aging population will add to the community’s knowledge and creative talent base, while placing greater demands on health and human services.