46

Percentage of Scituate residents who claim Irish ancestry, one of the highest in the state, according to the 2010-2014 Census American Community Survey

150

Approximate number of Scituate homes the government deems “severe repetitive loss’’ properties. Most have received four or more payouts from the federal flood insurance program over the years.

1814

The year Rebecca and Abigail Bates, daughters of Scituate’s first lightkeeper, reportedly were able to ward off an advancing British ship during the War of 1812 by playing the fife and drum. They made such a racket that they were mistaken for an entire militia. They are known in local lore as the “American Army of Two.’’

1898

The year that a brutal storm, dubbed the Portland Gale after the steamship Portland sank at sea with nearly 200 passengers, battered the Massachusetts coast. The storm was so strong it changed the mouth of the North River, separating Humarock from the rest of Scituate.

PRO

Family-friendly outdoor recreation

“It’s still a wonderful place to bring up a kid,’’ says Mat Brown, who raised three children in Scituate. “Give your kid a dory and he can go out on the ocean and learn to swim and learn to fish.’’

CON

No major-highway access

If you don’t ride the rail, prepare to be stuck taking the South Shore’s scenic route into Boston: stoplight-ridden Route 3A.