Cumberland County, Maine

Cumberland County, Maine

Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland

Seal
Map of Maine highlighting Cumberland County
Location in the state of Maine
Map of the United States highlighting Maine
Maine's location in the U.S.
Founded November 1, 1760
Named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland
Seat Portland
Largest city Portland
Area
 • Total 1,217 sq mi (3,152 km2)
 • Land 835 sq mi (2,163 km2)
 • Water 382 sq mi (989 km2), 31%
Population (est.)
 • (2013) 285,456
 • Density 337/sq mi (130/km²)
Congressional district 1st
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.cumberlandcounty.org

Cumberland County is a county located in the state of Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 281,674,[1] making it the most populous county in Maine. Its county seat is Portland.[2] Cumberland County was founded in 1760 from a portion of York County, Massachusetts and named for William, Duke of Cumberland, a son of King George II.[3]

Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the state, Sebago Lake, which supplies tap water to most of the county. The county is the economic and industrial center of the state, having the resources of the Port of Portland, the Maine Mall, and having corporate headquarters of major companies such as Fairchild Semiconductor, IDEXX Laboratories, Unum, and TD Bank.

Cumberland County is part of the Portland–South Portland, ME Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,217 square miles (3,150 km2), of which 835 square miles (2,160 km2) is land and 382 square miles (990 km2) (31%) is water.[4]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
179025,530—
180038,20849.7%
181042,83112.1%
182049,44515.4%
183060,10221.6%
184068,65814.2%
185079,53815.8%
186075,591−5.0%
187082,0218.5%
188086,3595.3%
189090,9495.3%
1900100,68910.7%
1910112,01411.2%
1920124,37611.0%
1930134,6458.3%
1940146,0008.4%
1950169,20115.9%
1960182,7518.0%
1970192,5285.3%
1980215,78912.1%
1990243,13512.7%
2000265,6129.2%
2010281,6746.0%
Est. 2014287,797[5]2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8]
1990–2000[9] 2010–2013[1]

2000 census

As of census of 2000, there were 265,612 people, 107,989 households, and 67,709 families residing in the county. The population density was 318 people per square mile (123/km²). There were 122,600 housing units at an average density of 147 per square mile (57/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.74% White, 1.06% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 107,989 households out of which 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.30% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.30% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,048, and the median income for a family was $54,485. Males had a median income of $35,850 versus $27,935 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,949. About 5.20% of families and 7.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

19.6% were of English, 15.5% Irish, 9.6% French, 7.8% United States or American, 7.7% Italian, 6.3% French Canadian and 5.9% German ancestry according to Census 2000. Most of those claiming to be of "American" ancestry are actually of English descent, but have family that has been in the country for so long, in many cases since the early seventeenth century that they choose to identify simply as "American".[10][11][12][13][14] 94.4% spoke English and 2.1% French as their first language.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 281,674 people, 117,339 households, and 70,778 families residing in the county.[15] The population density was 337.2 inhabitants per square mile (130.2/km2). There were 138,657 housing units at an average density of 166.0 per square mile (64.1/km2).[16] The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 2.4% black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population.[15] In terms of ancestry, 22.7% were English, 21.1% were Irish, 9.0% were German, 8.4% were Italian, 6.0% were Scottish, 5.5% were French Canadian, and 4.4% were American.[17]

Of the 117,339 households, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.7% were non-families, and 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.0 years.[15]

The median income for a household in the county was $55,658 and the median income for a family was $71,335. Males had a median income of $48,158 versus $38,539 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,041. About 6.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.[18]

Government

Cumberland County is represented by county commissioners and the daily operations are run by a county manager. The county has several responsibilities, including running a Sheriff's department, the Cumberland County Jail, and a county court system. Cumberland County also has its own treasury department, emergency management agency and also has a district attorney office. The county also has a stake in the Cross Insurance Arena (formerly called the Cumberland County Civic Center), as well as programs in local economic development and tourism.

Cumberland County is divided into five districts of approximate equal population, each of which elects one county commissioner. The sheriff is elected countywide and runs the Cumberland County Sheriff's office and the Cumberland County Jail.

Politics

Presidential election results[19]
Year Democratic Republican
2012 62.3% 101,950 35.3% 57,821
2008 64.1% 105,218 34.2% 56,186
2004 58.2% 94,846 40.1% 65,384
2000 52.0% 74,203 41.0% 58,543

In 2012, the county voted 65% to legalize same-sex marriage.[20]

Voter registration

Voter registration

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 10, 2014[21]
Party Total Voters Percentage
  Democratic 78,567 36.64%
  Unenrolled 74,853 35.23%
  Republican 51,641 24.08%
  Green Independent 9,317 4.34%
Total 214,378 100%

Communities

In popular culture

The fictional town of Jerusalem's Lot, featured in the vampire novel 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King, is situated in Cumberland County. King makes passing reference to other nearby towns and cities, including Portland, Falmouth, and Westbrook.

The video game Trauma Team takes place in Cumberland County in the year 2020, referencing Portland and Portland's Back Cove. Neither actual hospital housed in Portland is mentioned in-game; instead, a fictional trauma center called Resurgam First Care is fabricated for the plot (in real life, Portland's city motto is "Resurgam," Latin for "I will rise again"). Two other fictional places are mentioned that reference the county name: "Cumberland College" and "Cumberland Institute of Forensic Medicine".

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ http://www.cumberlandcounty.org/geninfo.htm#.ULKg-GfAGCc
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ Sharing the Dream: White Males in a Multicultural America By Dominic J. Pulera.
  11. ↑ Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', Demography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
  12. ↑ Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns', Social Science Research, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44–6.
  13. ↑ Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, 'Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82–86.
  14. ↑ Mary C. Waters, Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), p. 36.
  15. 1 2 3 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  16. ↑ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  17. ↑ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  18. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  19. ↑ "Maine Secretary of State". Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of June 10, 2014" (PDF). Maine Bureau of Corporations.

External links

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Coordinates: 43°49′N 70°20′W / 43.81°N 70.33°W / 43.81; -70.33

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