Waldo County, Maine
Encyclopedia
Waldo 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. It was named after Brigadier-General Samuel Waldo
, proprietor of the Waldo Patent
.
of 2000, there were 36,280 people, 14,726 households, and 10,057 families residing in the county. The population density
was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 18,904 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.89% White
, 0.19% Black
or African American
, 0.40% Native American
, 0.21% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.16% from other races
, and 1.15% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 24.8% were of English
, 14.7% United States
or American, 12.7% Irish
, 8.5% French
and 5.6% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.1% spoke English
and 1.5% French
as their first language.
There were 14,726 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples
living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,986, and the median income for a family was $40,402. Males had a median income of $29,644 versus $23,816 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $17,438. About 10.90% of families and 13.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.
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 38,786. 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 Belfast
Belfast, Maine
Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County...
.
Waldo County was founded on 7 February 1827 from a portion of Hancock County. It was named after Brigadier-General Samuel Waldo
Samuel Waldo (merchant)
Brigadier-General Samuel Waldo was a wealthy merchant, land speculator, soldier and political figure in Massachusetts.He was born in Boston, the son of Jonathan Waldo and Hannah Mason. In 1722, he married Lucy Wainwright...
, proprietor of the Waldo Patent
Waldo Patent
The Waldo Patent, a letters patent also known as the Muscongus Patent or the Lincolnshire Patent, was an area of land 36 miles square in what is now the U.S...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 852.74 square miles (2,208.6 km²), of which 729.73 square miles (1,890 km²) (or 85.57%) is land and 123.01 square miles (318.6 km²) (or 14.43%) 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...
- northeast - Hancock County, MaineHancock County, MaineHancock 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...
- east - Knox County, MaineKnox County, MaineKnox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 39,736. Its county seat is Rockland. The county is named for American Revolutionary War general and Secretary of War Henry Knox, who lived in the county from 1795 until his death in 1806. The county was...
- south - Lincoln County, MaineLincoln County, MaineLincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 34,457. Its county seat is Wiscasset. It was founded in 1760 and named after the English city Lincoln. At its founding, it accounted for three-fifths of the State's land, and stretched east to Nova...
- southwest - Kennebec County, MaineKennebec County, MaineKennebec County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 122,151. Its county seat is Augusta. The center of population of Maine is located in Kennebec County, in the city of Augusta....
- west - Somerset County, MaineSomerset County, MaineSomerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 52,228. Its county seat is Skowhegan.-History:...
- northwest
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 36,280 people, 14,726 households, and 10,057 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 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 18,904 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.89% 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...
, 0.19% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.40% Native American
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...
, 0.21% Asian
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...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.16% 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 1.15% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 24.8% were of 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...
, 14.7% United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or American, 12.7% 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...
, 8.5% 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...
and 5.6% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.1% 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...
and 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...
as their first language.
There were 14,726 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% 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, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,986, and the median income for a family was $40,402. Males had a median income of $29,644 versus $23,816 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 $17,438. About 10.90% of families and 13.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- BelfastBelfast, MaineBelfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County...
- BelmontBelmont, MaineBelmont is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 821 at the 2000 census. It was originally known as Green Plantation...
- BrooksBrooks, MaineBrooks is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,022 at the 2000 census.The town was named after John Brooks, the Federalist candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1815-1816, when the town incorporated. The town of Dexter, which incorporated the same year, was named...
- BurnhamBurnham, MaineBurnham is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,142 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:...
- FrankfortFrankfort, MaineFrankfort is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2000 census.-History:Frankfort is the oldest town on the Penobscot River, first settled in the 1760s by Massachusetts soldiers from nearby Fort Pownall...
- FreedomFreedom, MaineFreedom is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 645 at the 2000 census. Freedom is a residential and recreational area.-History:...
- IslesboroIslesboro, MaineIslesboro is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 603 at the 2000 census. It is a well-known summer colony accessible by ferry from Lincolnville Beach 3 miles to the west, or by air taxi service...
- JacksonJackson, MaineJackson is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The town was named after General Henry Jackson of the Revolutionary War. The population was 506 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- KnoxKnox, MaineKnox is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The town was named for General Henry Knox, the first United States Secretary of War. The population was 747 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- LibertyLiberty, MaineLiberty is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 927 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:...
- LincolnvilleLincolnville, MaineLincolnville is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,042 at the 2000 census. Lincolnville is the mainland terminal for state ferry service to Islesboro.-History:...
- MonroeMonroe, MaineMonroe is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The town was named for President James Monroe. The population was 882 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- MontvilleMontville, MaineMontville is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,002 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....
- MorrillMorrill, MaineMorrill is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 774 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:...
- NorthportNorthport, MaineNorthport is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,331 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....
- PalermoPalermo, MainePalermo is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,220 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:...
- ProspectProspect, MaineProspect is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 642 at the 2000 census.The most prominent landmark in Prospect is Fort Knox, a large 19th-century fort...
- SearsmontSearsmont, MaineSearsmont is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,174 at the 2000 census.-History:Located at the junction of several well-marked Indian trails, it was called Quantabacook. The town was a part of the Waldo Patent purchased by a consortium of wealthy Boston investors...
- SearsportSearsport, MaineSearsport is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,641 at the 2000 census. Searsport includes the village of North Searsport. The town is known as "the home of the famous sea captains" and the "Antique Capital of Maine." -History:...
- Stockton SpringsStockton Springs, MaineStockton Springs is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,481 at the 2000 census. Stockton Springs is home to Fort Point State Park and Fort Point Light, both located on Fort Point, a peninsula on Cape Jellison.-History:...
- SwanvilleSwanville, MaineSwanville is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,357 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....
- ThorndikeThorndike, MaineThorndike is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The town was named after Israel Thorndike, a landowner. The population was 712 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- TroyTroy, MaineTroy is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 963 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:...
- UnityUnity, MaineUnity is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,889 at the 2000 census. The town is the service center for the northern portion of Waldo County...
- WaldoWaldo, MaineWaldo is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 733 at the 2000 census.-History:The area was once part of the Waldo Patent, a large tract of land owned by Brigadier-General Samuel Waldo of Boston. It was first settled in 1811 by Henry Davidson, then organized as Waldo...
- WinterportWinterport, MaineWinterport is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,602 at the 2000 census. Each August the town hosts the Winterport Music Festival.-History:...