Economic Development

Focus on Competitiveness

Building on our advantages, Hingham offers assets to make it easier for businesses to launch and grow, including:

A highly competitive single tax rate. Our tax rate of $10.69 is significantly lower than in surrounding South Shore communities.
Reliable, lower-cost electric power. The Hingham Municipal Light Plant delivers electricity to all town users at lower rates than surrounding communities.
Business growth networks. Hingham has added staff reaching across statewide business networks.
Predictable permitting. Hingham’s Community Planning Department ensures projects receive coordinated and timely review across departments.

Implementing an Economic Development Strategic Plan

To further boost the town’s competitiveness, Hingham recently collaborated with Camoin Associates to forge an economic development strategy that defines its competitive position, with strengths including:

A strong base of high-income households and professional office jobs
Multimodal transportation access to Greater Boston and Plymouth
Important heritage tourism assets
AAA credit rating

Our strategy sets a path to boosting private investment in three business districts.

Hingham Shipyard / Route 3A

Hingham Shipyard / Route 3A, a corridor centered on a transformed World War II-era shipyard. Today, this diverse area hosts The Launch, an attractive mixed-use district with water uses, the headquarters of the Knitwell Group, a fashion brand group including Talbot’s, a Hingham-founded retailer, and Massa Products, an ultrasonic sensors manufacturer.

Hingham is boosting this district by collaborating with the MBTA to enhance the Shipyard’s links to Boston and Hingham Square. Recent announcements include expanded MBTA Commuter Ferry capacity to Boston and regular MBTA bus service connecting the ferry terminal to Hingham Square.

South Hingham

South Hingham with two-interchange access to Route 3, hosts Blue Cross Blue Shield’s 1,400-employee office, Russelectric Siemens, a power systems & controls manufacturer, family-owned food manufacturers Venus Wafers and Yankee Trader Seafood - and hundreds of acres available for development.

Hingham has taken key steps to promote district business growth, including:

Guaranteeing permitting decisions within 180 days in the South Shore Park, a 300+ acre site with 160 undeveloped acres

Collaboration with partners to improve water and wastewater infrastructure.