Need info on Rockport, ME (Rockland, Camden: real estate, Home Depot, job market)

[tonyandclaire89]

Hi All,

A friend of ours happened to mention a town called Rockport...Said it was a nice area to live...However, the individual was originally from there and probably was being biased...Basically we would like some unbiased opinions about the area... For example how cold does it get there compared to Boston... Are the winters long and harsh....Convenience of shopping (supermarkets, drug stores, etc...)
Quality of schools and medical facilities...How good is the job market--- is it a touristy area... only work is just service jobs...What is the cost of living versus Massachusetts in general(real estate property prices, real estate taxes, income taxes)...On average what is the cost of land lot to build a home on ...And is located in a decent area and not too far from the ocean...Any info would be appreciated....

Tony & Claire

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by tonyandclaire89

Hi All,

A friend of ours happened to mention a town called Rockport...Said it was a nice area to live...However, the individual was originally from there and probably was being biased...Basically we would like some unbiased opinions about the area... For example how cold does it get there compared to Boston... Are the winters long and harsh....Convenience of shopping (supermarkets, drug stores, etc...)
Quality of schools and medical facilities...How good is the job market--- is it a touristy area... only work is just service jobs...What is the cost of living versus Massachusetts in general(real estate property prices, real estate taxes, income taxes)...On average what is the cost of land lot to build a home on ...And is located in a decent area and not too far from the ocean...Any info would be appreciated....

Tony & Claire

Rockport is a pretty town right on the coast,(see atlas). It is touristy being next door to Camden. There are large stores for shopping in the next city, Rockland, a few miles away.
The winters are no worse than eastern Mass., and probably nicer than western Mass..
Land tends to be expensive for the area. Further away from the shore would be cheaper. Taxes are reasonable. Cost of living compared to Mass. would be comparable.
Schools are good and there is a nearby hospital.
It is a very nice area.

[lawmom]

It depends on where in MA you're comparing Rockport to. It's cheaper than Boston, but comparable to other areas. The schools are ok, and there are some private ones around, too. There is not a lot of shopping, but in the towns next to it there are grocery stores, pharmacies, a Home Depot, Walmart and TJ Maxx. It is very pretty.