Somerset County, Maine

Somerset County is a county in the U.S. state of Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,477.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Skowhegan.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Somerset County was established on March 1, 1809<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>from portions of Kennebec County and was named after Somerset County in England.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (4.1%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the third-largest county in Maine by area.

Mountains

• Boundary Bald Mountain
• Coburn Mountain
• Mount Bigelow
• Moxie Mountain
• Sandy Bay Mountain

Bodies of water

• Carrabassett River
• Flagstaff Lake
• Kennebec River
• Moose River
• Moxie Falls

Major highways

• Interstate 95
• Maine State Route 6
• Maine State Route 8
• Maine State Route 11
• Maine State Route 15
• Maine State Route 16
• Maine State Route 27
• Maine State Route 100
• Maine State Route 104
• Maine State Route 137
• Maine State Route 139
• U.S. Route 2
• U.S. Route 201
  • Armstrong–Jackman Border Crossing
• U.S. Route 201A

Adjacent counties and municipalities

• Aroostook County – north
• Penobscot County – east
• Piscataquis County – east
• Waldo County – southeast
• Kennebec County – south
• Franklin County – southwest
• Le Granit Regional County Municipality, Quebec – west
• Beauce-Sartigan Regional County Municipality, Quebec – west
• Les Etchemins Regional County Municipality, Quebec – northwest
• Montmagny Regional County Municipality, Quebec – northwest

Somerset County is one of few counties in the United States to border 10 counties and county equivalents.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 50,888 people, 20,496 households, and 14,121 families were living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 28,222 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert. The Race (United States Census)racial makeup of the county was 98.00% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. About 0.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race; 20.9% were of English, 17.7% French, 15.1% United States or American, 11.5% Irish, and 8.8% French Canadian ancestry. About 96.2% spoke English and 2.9% French as their first language.

Of the 20,496 households, 31.6% had children under 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were not families. About 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.7% under 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,731, and for a family was $36,464. Males had a median income of $29,032 versus $20,745 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,474. About 11.1% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under 18 and 12.50% of those 65 or over.

2010 census

Template:As of, 52,228 people, 21,927 households, and 14,353 families lived in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. The 30,569 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% White, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1" /> In terms of ancestry, 25.1% were French, 24.2% were English, 15.8% were Irish, 8.0% were German, 7.9% were American, and 6.1% were French Canadian.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 21,927 households, 28.2% had children under 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.5% were not families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age was 43.6 years.<ref name="census-dp1" />

The median income for a household in the county was $36,647 and for a family was $47,177. Males had a median income of $41,235 versus $30,029 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,709. About 14.0% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Government and politics

Somerset County is part of Maine's 2nd congressional district and represented by Democrat Jared Golden since 2019.

A "swing" or "pivot" county in the 21st century, despite voting for Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, Somerset County voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, by a margin of victory of 23.37%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2020, Trump became the first presidential candidate to carry the county with more than 60% of the vote since Ronald Reagan in 1984. In 2024, the county shifted to the right again, with Trump's win (a margin of over 27 points) being the best performance by a Republican since Nixon's 1972 landslide. In 1992, the county was one of three in Maine to vote for independent Ross Perot, along with neighboring Piscataquis and Waldo.

Voter registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024<ref name="Maine SOS">Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Party color cell	Republican	12,893	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Unenrolled	9,415	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Democratic	7,936	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Green Independent	1,319	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	No Labels	338	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Libertarian	114	Template:Percentage
Total		32,015	Template:Percentage

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Communities

Towns

• Anson
• Athens
• Bingham
• Cambridge
• Canaan
• Caratunk
• Cornville
• Detroit
• Embden
• Fairfield
• Harmony
• Hartland
• Jackman
• Madison
• Mercer
• Moose River
• Moscow
• New Portland
• Norridgewock
• Palmyra
• Pittsfield
• Ripley
• St. Albans
• Skowhegan
• Smithfield
• Solon
• Starks

Census-designated places

• Anson
• Bingham
• Fairfield
• Hartland
• Madison
• Norridgewock
• Pittsfield
• Skowhegan

Plantations

• Brighton Plantation
• Dennistown
• Highland Plantation
• Pleasant Ridge Plantation
• The Forks
• West Forks

Unorganized territories

• Central Somerset
• Northeast Somerset
• Northwest Somerset
• Seboomook Lake

Villages

• Flagstaff
• North Anson
• Rockwood

Education

School administrative districts

The following school districts are located at least partly in Somerset County:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• MSAD 4
• MSAD 12
• MSAD 13
• MSAD 49
• MSAD 53
• MSAD 54
• MSAD 59
• MSAD 74

Secondary schools

• Carrabec High School – North Anson<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Faith Baptist Christian School – Skowhegan (serves multiple grades)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Forest Hills Consolidated School (K-12) – Jackman<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Lawrence High School – Fairfield<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Madison Area Memorial High School – Madison<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Maine Academy of Natural Sciences – Hinckley<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Maine Central Institute – Pittsfield<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Skowhegan Area High School – Skowhegan<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Upper Kennebec Valley Memorial High School – Bingham<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Higher education

• Kennebec Valley Community College

Miscellaneous

• Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
• L.C. Bates Museum

See also

• Historical U.S. Census Totals for Somerset County, Maine
• List of counties in Maine
• List of Maine county name etymologies
• List of towns in Somerset County
• Category:People from Somerset County, Maine
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerset County, Maine

References

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Further reading

• Template:Citation
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External links

• Template:Cite web
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• Digital Maine Repository. Items related to Somerset County
• Core.ac.uk. Assorted items related to Somerset County
• Digital Public Library of America. Assorted materials related to Somerset County

County politics

• Template:Cite web
• Template:Cite web