Somerset County, Maine

History

Somerset County was established on March 1, 1809from portions of Kennebec County and was named after Somerset County in England.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4094 sqmi, of which 169 sqmi (4.1%) are covered by water. 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

| align-fn = center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2016

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 50,477. Of the residents, 19.0% were under the age of 18 and 22.1% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 46.9 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.6 males. 15.1% of residents lived in urban areas and 84.9% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.

There were 21,924 households in the county, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 29,785 housing units, of which 26.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.8% were owner-occupied and 24.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.

2010 census

, 52,228 people, 21,927 households, and 14,353 families lived in the county. The population density was 13.3 /mi2. The 30,569 housing units had an average density of 7.8 /mi2. 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% were from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. 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.

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.

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.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 50,888 people, 20,496 households, and 14,121 families were living in the county. The population density was 13 /mi2. The 28,222 housing units had an average density of 7 /mi2. The 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.

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%. 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

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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
• North Anson
• Pittsfield
• Skowhegan

Plantations

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

Unorganized territories

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

Villages

• Flagstaff
• North Anson
• Rockwood

Education

School districts

The following school administrative districts are located at least partly in Somerset County:

• MSAD 4
• MSAD 12
• MSAD 13
• MSAD 46
• MSAD 49
• MSAD 53
• MSAD 54
• MSAD 59
• MSAD 74

Other types of districts in the county include:

• Athens School District
• Brighton Plantation School District
• Caratunk School District
• Dennistown Plantation School District
• Harmony School District
• Highland Plantation School District
• Pleasant Ridge Plantation School District
• The Forks Plantation School District
• West Forks Plantation School District
• Regional School Unit 19

There is also the Somerset Unorganized Territory. The Maine Department of Education takes responsibility for coordinating school assignments in the unorganized territory. The Maine Department of Education formerly operated Rockwood Elementary School in Rockwood Township.

Secondary schools

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

Higher education

• Kennebec Valley Community College

Miscellaneous

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

References

References

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