Oxford County, Maine

Oxford County is a county in the state of Maine, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the county had a population of 57,777.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is the town of Paris.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was formed on March 4, 1805, by the Massachusetts General Court in the Maine District from northerly portions of York and Cumberland counties. It borders the Canadian province of Quebec. Part of Oxford County is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area while a different part of Oxford County is included in the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area.

Geography

File:Oxford County Landscape.jpg

Typical fall landscape in Oxford County, ME.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (4.5%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties and municipalities

• Franklin County – northeast
• Androscoggin County – east
• Cumberland County – southeast
• York County – south
• Carroll County, New Hampshire – southwest
• Coös County, New Hampshire – west
• Le Granit Regional County Municipality, Quebec – north

National protected areas

• Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• White Mountain National Forest (part)

Demographics

Ancestries

As of 2015, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Oxford County, Maine were:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 54,755 people, 22,314 households, and 15,173 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 32,295 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 98.25% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.6% were of English, 13.9% French, 13.7% United States or American, 10.1% Irish and 8.4% French Canadian ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.9% spoke English and 2.6% French as their first language.<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> Of the 22,314 households 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 25.60% of households were one person and 11.00% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.87.

The age distribution was 24.20% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median household income was $33,435 and the median family income was $39,794. Males had a median income of $30,641 versus $21,233 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,945. About 8.30% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.80% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 57,833 people, 24,300 households, and 15,781 families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 36,055 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% white, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 23.6% were English, 14.8% were Irish, 8.2% were American, 6.4% were German, and 5.6% were French Canadian.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 24,300 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.1% were non-families, and 27.1% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 44.6 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median household income was $39,748 and the median family income was $48,000. Males had a median income of $37,892 versus $30,187 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,254. About 9.6% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Politics

From 1880 to 1988, Oxford County was dominated by the Republican Party in presidential elections, only failing to back a Republican candidate in 1912 (the county backed Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, who was a former Republican), 1964 (backing Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson, who won every county in Maine in a 46-state landslide), and 1968 (backing Democrat Hubert Humphrey, who had chosen Oxford County native Edmund Muskie as his running mate). The county flipped in 1992 to become consistently Democratic like the rest of Maine, staying that way through 2012. However, it made a 27.8 point swing<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (the largest statewide) to back Republican Donald Trump in 2016 as he won Maine's second congressional district containing the county. Trump retained the county in 2020 and again in 2024, each time at increasing margins.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Voter registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024<ref name="Maine SOS">Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Party color cell	Unenrolled	13,102	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Republican	12,874	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Democratic	10,662	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Green Independent	1,957	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Libertarian	149	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	No Labels	147	Template:Percentage
Total		38,891	Template:Percentage

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Recreation

Oxford County is home to many summer camps. Some of these camps are Camp Wekeela, Kamp Kohut, Camp Wyonegonic, Forest Acres Camp for Girls and Maine Teen Camp.

Communities

File:Spruce Mountain in Fall.jpg

Spruce Mountain Wind Farm is one of three wind farms in Oxford County, ME.

Towns

• Andover
• Bethel
• Brownfield
• Buckfield
• Byron
• Canton
• Denmark
• Dixfield
• Fryeburg
• Gilead
• Greenwood
• Hanover
• Hartford
• Hebron
• Hiram
• Lovell
• Mexico
• Newry
• Norway
• Otisfield
• Oxford
• Paris (county seat)
• Peru
• Porter
• Roxbury
• Rumford
• Stoneham
• Stow
• Sumner
• Sweden
• Upton
• Waterford
• West Paris
• Woodstock

Plantations

• Lincoln Plantation
• Magalloway (former)

Unorganized territories

• North Oxford
• South Oxford
• Milton

Census-designated places

• Bethel
• Dixfield
• Fryeburg
• Kezar Falls
• Mexico
• Norway
• Oxford
• Rumford
• South Paris

Other unincorporated communities

• Center Lovell
• Dickvale
• Magalloway
• North Waterford
• Waterford Flat
• West Bethel, Maine

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Oxford County, Maine

References

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Further reading

• Template:Citation

External links

• Official Website of Oxford County
• Digital Maine Repository. Items related to Oxford County
• Core.ac.uk. Assorted items related to Oxford County
• Digital Public Library of America. Assorted materials related to Oxford County