Betterton, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Betterton is a town in Kent County
, Maryland
, United States
. The population was 376 at the 2000 census.
resort structures. The district includes many of the homes, hotels and cottages built to accommodate steamboat passengers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable buildings within the district include the hotels and boarding homes which catered to the steamboat passengers, several churches, and summer cottages, dating from the golden age of the passenger steamboats on the Chesapeake Bay
.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984.
on the upper Chesapeake Bay
. More precisely, Betterton is located at 39°22′4"N 76°3′39"W (39.367863, -76.060877).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 376 people, 164 households, and 102 families residing in the town. The population density
was 423.9 people per square mile (163.1/km²). There were 277 housing units at an average density of 312.3 per square mile (120.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.29% White, 2.13% African American, 4.52% from other races
, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.24% of the population.
There were 164 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,477, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $27,188 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,848. About 6.1% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 376 at the 2000 census.
Betterton Historic District
The Betterton Historic District consists of a collection of vernacular VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
resort structures. The district includes many of the homes, hotels and cottages built to accommodate steamboat passengers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable buildings within the district include the hotels and boarding homes which catered to the steamboat passengers, several churches, and summer cottages, dating from the golden age of the passenger steamboats on the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1984.
Geography
Betterton is located at the mouth of the Sassafras RiverSassafras River
The Sassafras River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula in the United States. It is about long and starts in western New Castle County, Delaware, and along the boundary between Cecil County, Maryland on the north and Kent County, Maryland on the south...
on the upper Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. More precisely, Betterton is located at 39°22′4"N 76°3′39"W (39.367863, -76.060877).
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.
Government
Betterton is governed by a mayor and a town council with four members. Town council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm in the town hall. The town hall is located in the Betterton Community Center, a former Catholic church refurbished as town offices and a museum, on Main Street.Betterton Beach
Betterton Beach is located at the foot of Main Street. The beach has 300 feet (91.4 m) of frontage for swimming. The water is generally free of sea nettles because the water is not very salty. The beach has public restrooms, a boardwalk, a fishing jetty, a public landing, and ample parking. A picnic pavilion is nearby. Lifeguards are on duty Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Memorial Day through Labor Day. The beach is maintained by Kent County Parks and Recreation.Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 376 people, 164 households, and 102 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 423.9 people per square mile (163.1/km²). There were 277 housing units at an average density of 312.3 per square mile (120.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.29% White, 2.13% African American, 4.52% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.24% of the population.
There were 164 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,477, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $27,188 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $24,848. About 6.1% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Betterton's Page at the Maryland Municipal League
- Betterton's Page at the Kent County Website
- Betterton Beach
- Betterton Historic District, Kent County, including photo dated 1984, at Maryland Historical Trust
- Boundary Map of the Betterton Historic District, Kent County, at Maryland Historical Trust
