Hancock County, Maine
Encyclopedia
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Maine
. As of 2010, the population was 54,418. Its county seat
is Ellsworth
. It was incorporated on June 25, 1789. Hancock County was named for John Hancock
, the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
.
of 2000, there were 51,791 people, 21,864 households, and 14,233 families residing in the county. The population density
was 33 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 33,945 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.61% White
, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest ancestry groups in Hancock County, Maine according to Census 2000 are:
24.6% English
16.6% American
11.9% Irish
6.6% French
6.1% German
96.8% spoke English
, 1.5% French
and 1.0% Spanish
as their first language.
There were 21,864 households out of which 28.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% were married couples
living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.90% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.30% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,811, and the median income for a family was $43,216. Males had a median income of $30,461 versus $22,647 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $19,809. About 7.00% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.90% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.
The 1990 Census counted 46,948, though the 1998 population estimate is 49,932.1 The gender division was 22,996 males, 23,952 females in 1989. Ninety-nine percent of the population was white (46,446), 121 American Indians, 249 Asians, 79 Blacks and 52 "other"
Sixty-six percent of the population of Hancock County are Mainers by birth, three percent were born outside the US.
Of the 31,475 persons over 25 years old, 83% (26,214) had a high school degree or higher. Twenty-one percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Cranberry Isles, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Gouldsboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swans Island and Tremont (Bass Harbor) were identified by a key respondent as fisheries dependent. Bar Harbor, Brooklin, Brooksville, Hancock, Lamoine, Mount Desert, Penobscot, Sedgwick, Sorrento and Sullivan were also noted as having either significant fishing activity or a significant number of people who fish. Winter Harbor’s fishing activities were once dwarfed by the economic activity associated with a naval base, but now that the naval base has closed, fishing activity will most likely be the dominant economic activity in the community. Salmon farming is also popular in the area and Maine Salmon
are exported from the area.
Hancock County has the longest coastline of any Maine county. Commercial fishing and tourism are the county’s most important industries. Hancock County is home to Acadia National Park
(the only national park in Maine or the New England region) and Cadillac Mountain
(the highest point in Maine's coastal region). Jackson Laboratory
, noted for cancer research, is located in Bar Harbor. Two institutions of higher education
are located in Hancock County: Maine Maritime Academy at Castine and the College of the Atlantic
at Bar Harbor.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. As of 2010, the population was 54,418. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Ellsworth
Ellsworth, Maine
Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Maine, United States. The 2010 Census determined it had a population of 7,741. Ellsworth was Maine's fastest growing city from 2000-2010 with a growth rate of nearly 20 percent...
. It was incorporated on June 25, 1789. Hancock County was named for John Hancock
John Hancock
John Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
, the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 2351.03 square miles (6,089.1 km²), of which 1587.7 square miles (4,112.1 km²) (or 67.53%) is land and 763.33 square miles (1,977 km²) (or 32.47%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Penobscot County, MainePenobscot County, MainePenobscot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. For U.S. Census statistical purposes, it is part of the Bangor, Maine, New England County Metropolitan Area . As of 2010, the population was 153,923...
—north - Washington County, MaineWashington County, MaineWashington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 32,856. Its county seat is Machias.Sometimes referred to as "Sunrise County" because it is the easternmost county in the United States, and it is often where the rising sun first shines on the 48...
—northeast - Waldo County, MaineWaldo County, MaineWaldo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 38,786. Its county seat is Belfast.Waldo County was founded on 7 February 1827 from a portion of Hancock County...
—west
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 51,791 people, 21,864 households, and 14,233 families residing in the county. 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 33 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 33,945 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.61% White
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...
, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest ancestry groups in Hancock County, Maine according to Census 2000 are:
24.6% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
16.6% American
American ethnicity
American ethnicity differs from United States nationality. An individual's nationality is American if he or she is a national of the United States of America. The circumstances under which a person is ethnically American are less clear....
11.9% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
6.6% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
6.1% German
96.8% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 1.5% French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and 1.0% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 21,864 households out of which 28.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% 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, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.90% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.30% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,811, and the median income for a family was $43,216. Males had a median income of $30,461 versus $22,647 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 county was $19,809. About 7.00% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.90% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.
The 1990 Census counted 46,948, though the 1998 population estimate is 49,932.1 The gender division was 22,996 males, 23,952 females in 1989. Ninety-nine percent of the population was white (46,446), 121 American Indians, 249 Asians, 79 Blacks and 52 "other"
Sixty-six percent of the population of Hancock County are Mainers by birth, three percent were born outside the US.
Of the 31,475 persons over 25 years old, 83% (26,214) had a high school degree or higher. Twenty-one percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Industry
Of employed persons 16 years and over in 1990, 1,108 indicated involvement in the "agriculture, forestry and fisheries" industry, though 1206 indicated "farming, forestry and fishing occupations." The U.S. Census data are not dependable for determining the numbers of individuals involved in the fishing industry. Only firms with 10 or more employees must report their numbers, as well as firms paying workmen’s compensation insurance. Because the majority of fishermen in Maine are considered self-employed, the statistics underreport fishing employment.Cranberry Isles, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Gouldsboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swans Island and Tremont (Bass Harbor) were identified by a key respondent as fisheries dependent. Bar Harbor, Brooklin, Brooksville, Hancock, Lamoine, Mount Desert, Penobscot, Sedgwick, Sorrento and Sullivan were also noted as having either significant fishing activity or a significant number of people who fish. Winter Harbor’s fishing activities were once dwarfed by the economic activity associated with a naval base, but now that the naval base has closed, fishing activity will most likely be the dominant economic activity in the community. Salmon farming is also popular in the area and Maine Salmon
Maine Salmon
Maine, in the United States, has a tradition of having a large fishing and lobster industry. However today some of that industry has switched to salmon farming or aquaculture. Of late aquaculturists in Maine are most concerned about the outbreak of Infectious Salmon anemia in the Bay of Fundy, New...
are exported from the area.
Hancock County has the longest coastline of any Maine county. Commercial fishing and tourism are the county’s most important industries. Hancock County is home to Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is a National Park located in the U.S. state of Maine. It reserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast...
(the only national park in Maine or the New England region) and Cadillac Mountain
Cadillac Mountain
Cadillac Mountain is a mountain located on Mount Desert Island, within Acadia National Park. With an elevation of , its summit is the highest point in Hancock County, and the highest within of a coastline on the U.S. East Coast as well as down to the Yucatán Peninsula.-History:Before being renamed...
(the highest point in Maine's coastal region). Jackson Laboratory
Jackson Laboratory
The Jackson Laboratory was founded in Bar Harbor, Maine in 1929 by former University of Maine and University of Michigan president C. C. Little under the name Roscoe B...
, noted for cancer research, is located in Bar Harbor. Two institutions of higher education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
are located in Hancock County: Maine Maritime Academy at Castine and the College of the Atlantic
College of the Atlantic
The College of the Atlantic, founded in 1969, is a private, alternative liberal-arts college located in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. It awards a bachelor's degree solely in the field of human ecology, though with a variety of emphases. The college is small, with...
at Bar Harbor.
Cities and towns
- AmherstAmherst, MaineAmherst is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 230 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
- AuroraAurora, MaineAurora is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The town was named for the goddess of dawn. The population was 121 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Bar HarborBar Harbor, MaineBar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
- Blue HillBlue Hill, MaineBlue Hill is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,390 at the 2000 census. It is home to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, George Stevens Academy, the now-closed Liberty School, New Surry Theatre, Kneisel Hall, Bagaduce Music Lending Library, the Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club...
- BrooklinBrooklin, MaineBrooklin is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 841 at the 2000 census. It is home to WoodenBoat Magazine Brooklin Boat Yard, and numerous boatbuilders, artists, writers, musicians and potters.-History:...
- BrooksvilleBrooksville, MaineBrooksville is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 934. It contains the villages of North Brooksville, South Brooksville , West Brooksville, Brooksville Corner, and Harborside .-History:It was first settled by John Wasson, Samuel Wasson and...
- Bucksport
- CastineCastine, MaineCastine is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States and was once the capital of Acadia . The population was 1,343 at the 2000 census. Castine is the home of Maine Maritime Academy, a four-year institution that graduates officers and engineers for the United States Merchant Marine and marine...
- Cranberry IslesCranberry Isles, MaineCranberry Isles is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 128 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- DedhamDedham, MaineDedham is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- Deer IsleDeer Isle, MaineDeer Isle is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,876 at the 2000 census. Notable landmarks in Deer Isle are the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the town's many art galleries.-History:...
- EastbrookEastbrook, MaineEastbrook is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 370 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- EllsworthEllsworth, MaineEllsworth is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Maine, United States. The 2010 Census determined it had a population of 7,741. Ellsworth was Maine's fastest growing city from 2000-2010 with a growth rate of nearly 20 percent...
- FranklinFranklin, MaineFranklin is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,370 at the 2000 census. The first settler in 1764, was Moses Butler, for whom Butler's Point is named...
- FrenchboroFrenchboro, MaineFrenchboro is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States, and a village within this town located on Long Island in Blue Hill Bay. The population was 38 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- GouldsboroGouldsboro, MaineGouldsboro is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States on the Schoodic Peninsula. The town was named for Robert Gould, a landholder in the town. The town has many historically separate fishing and summer visitor villages, including Birch Harbor, Prospect Harbor, and Corea...
- Great PondGreat Pond, MaineGreat Pond is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 47.Gleason Archer, Sr. , the founder and first president of Suffolk University in Boston, was born in Great Pond...
- HancockHancock, MaineHancock is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,147 at the 2000 census. Located on the mainland at the head of Frenchman Bay, Hancock has commanding views of Mount Desert Island.-History:...
- LamoineLamoine, MaineLamoine is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The town was named for DeLamoine, an early landowner. The word "La moine" is French and translates to "The Least." The population was 1,495 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- MariavilleMariaville, MaineMariaville is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The town was named for Maria Matilda, daughter of landholder William Bingham. The population was 414 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Mount DesertMount Desert, MaineMount Desert is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,109 at the 2000 census. Incorporated in 1789, the town currently encompasses the villages of Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Somesville, Hall Quarry, and Pretty...
- OrlandOrland, MaineOrland is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,134 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- OsbornOsborn, MaineOsborn is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 69 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
- OtisOtis, MaineOtis is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 543 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
- PenobscotPenobscot, MainePenobscot is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The Bagaduce River runs through the town. The population was 1,344 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- SedgwickSedgwick, MaineSedgwick is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,102 at the 2000 census. The town includes the village of Sargentville....
- SorrentoSorrento, MaineSorrento is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 290 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- Southwest HarborSouthwest Harbor, MaineSouthwest Harbor is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. Located on Mount Desert Island, the population was 1,966 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- StoningtonStonington, MaineStonington is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States, located on the southern portion of Deer Island. The population was 1,152 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Oceanville and West Stonington...
- SullivanSullivan, MaineSullivan is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,185 at the 2000 census. The town was named for Daniel Sullivan, an early settler.-Geography:...
- SurrySurry, MaineSurry is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,361 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- Swan's IslandSwan's Island, MaineSwan's Island is an island town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. It is named after Colonel James Swan of Fife, Scotland, who purchased this island and some surrounding areas and organized their colonization in the 18th century. The population was 327 at the 2000 census. The town is...
- TremontTremont, MaineTremont is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. It is located on the southwestern side of Mount Desert Island, known to locals as "the quietside."...
- TrentonTrenton, MaineTrenton is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States, near Acadia National Park. The population was 1,370 at the 2000 census. Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport is located in Trenton....
- VeronaVerona Island, MaineVerona Island is a town located on an island of the same name in the Penobscot River in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 544 at the 2010 census.- History :...
- WalthamWaltham, MaineWaltham is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 306 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- Winter HarborWinter Harbor, MaineWinter Harbor is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
Territories
- Central HancockCentral Hancock, MaineCentral Hancock, also known as Fletchers Landing, is an unorganized territory in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 138 at the 2000 census...
- East HancockEast Hancock, MaineEast Hancock is an unorganized territory in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 73 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the unorganized territory has a total area of 481.2 square miles , of which, 444.3 square miles of it is...
- Northwest HancockNorthwest Hancock, MaineNorthwest Hancock is an unorganized territory in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 4 at the 2000 census. The territory is designated as Township 32 Middle Division.-Geography:...
See also
- Maine Salmon
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, MaineNational Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, MaineThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, Maine.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Maine, United States...
External links
- Official Website of Hancock County
- Hancock County on Maine.gov