The municipality had a population of 621 (as of 31 December 2008)[2] and covered a land area of 119.93 square kilometres (46.31 sq mi).

The municipality was bilingual with the majority (86%) being Swedish and minority Finnish speakers.

There are one store in Houtskär, a bank and post office, and the church of Santa Maria in Näsby center.

Communications to the mainland is by the ”Archipelago road” through Pargas, Nagu and Korpo, with three ferries considered part of the road network, the trip with the last one from Korpo to Houtskär lasting half an hour.

The original Finnish name can be reconstructed as *Hautasaari or *Hautasalo, where saari/salo was then translated into Swedish as skär.