Oxford County, Maine

County in Maine, United States

County in Maine

Oxford County

County

Strathglass Building at Rumford, Maine.

Location within the U.S. state of Maine

Maine's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 44°19′28″N 70°42′19″W﻿ / ﻿44.324516°N 70.705177°W﻿ / 44.324516; -70.705177
Country|  United States
State|  Maine
Founded| 1805
Named after| Oxford, Massachusetts
Seat| Paris
Largest town| Rumford
Area

• Total

| 2,176 sq mi (5,640 km2)
• Land| 2,077 sq mi (5,380 km2)
• Water| 99 sq mi (260 km2)  4.5%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 57,777

• Estimate

(2021)

| 58,629
• Density| 27/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 2nd
Website| oxfordcounty.org

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.[1] Its county seat is the town of Paris.[2] 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.

## Geography

[edit]

Typical fall landscape in Oxford County, ME.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,176 square miles (5,640 km2), of which 2,077 square miles (5,380 km2) is land and 99 square miles (260 km2) (4.5%) is water.[3]

### Adjacent counties and municipalities

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

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

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1810| 17,630| | —
1820| 27,104| | 53.7%
1830| 35,219| | 29.9%
1840| 38,351| | 8.9%
1850| 39,763| | 3.7%
1860| 36,698| | −7.7%
1870| 33,488| | −8.7%
1880| 32,627| | −2.6%
1890| 30,586| | −6.3%
1900| 32,238| | 5.4%
1910| 36,256| | 12.5%
1920| 37,700| | 4.0%
1930| 41,483| | 10.0%
1940| 42,662| | 2.8%
1950| 44,221| | 3.7%
1960| 44,345| | 0.3%
1970| 43,457| | −2.0%
1980| 48,968| | 12.7%
1990| 52,602| | 7.4%
2000| 54,755| | 4.1%
2010| 57,833| | 5.6%
2020| 57,777| | −0.1%
2023 (est.)| 59,905| [4]| 3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790–1960[6] 1900–1990[7]
1990–2000[8] 2010–2016[9] 2018[10]

### Ancestries

[edit]

As of 2015, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Oxford County, Maine were:[11]

Largest ancestries (2015) | Percent

|

English | 22.6%
French
or French Canadian | 20.9%
Irish | 15.7%
"American" | 8.9%
German | 6.5%
Scottish | 5.6%
Italian | 4.9%
Polish | 1.9%

### 2000 census

[edit]

At the 2000 census there were 54,755 people, 22,314 households, and 15,173 families living in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile (10 people/km2). There were 32,295 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6.2/km2). 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.[12] 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

[edit]

At the 2010 census, there were 57,833 people, 24,300 households, and 15,781 families living in the county.[13] The population density was 27.8 inhabitants per square mile (10.7/km2). There were 36,055 housing units at an average density of 17.4 units per square mile (6.7 units/km2).[14] 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.[13] 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.[15]

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.[13]

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.[16]

## Politics

[edit]

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[17] (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.[18]

### Voter registration

[edit]

Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024[19]

| Unenrolled  | 13,102  | 33.69%
| Republican | 12,874  | 33.1%
| Democratic | 10,662  | 27.42%
| Green Independent | 1,957  | 5.03%
| Libertarian | 149  | 0.38%
| No Labels | 147  | 0.38%
Total  | 38,891  | 100%

United States presidential election results for Oxford County, Maine[20] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 19,228  | 55.59% | 14,765  | 42.69%  | 597  | 1.73%
2020 | 17,698  | 52.84% | 14,755  | 44.06%  | 1,039  | 3.10%
2016 | 16,210  | 51.95% | 12,172  | 39.01%  | 2,819  | 9.03%
2012 | 11,996  | 40.77%  | 16,330  | 55.51% | 1,094  | 3.72%
2008 | 12,863  | 40.64%  | 17,940  | 56.68% | 847  | 2.68%
2004 | 14,196  | 45.00%  | 16,618  | 52.68% | 732  | 2.32%
2000 | 11,835  | 43.05%  | 13,649  | 49.65% | 2,009  | 7.31%
1996 | 7,238  | 27.74%  | 13,580  | 52.05% | 5,273  | 20.21%
1992 | 8,194  | 27.91%  | 11,202  | 38.16% | 9,960  | 33.93%
1988 | 13,568  | 55.91% | 10,523  | 43.37%  | 175  | 0.72%
1984 | 15,408  | 64.34% | 8,430  | 35.20%  | 110  | 0.46%
1980 | 11,041  | 47.04% | 9,914  | 42.23%  | 2,519  | 10.73%
1976 | 10,551  | 49.04% | 10,340  | 48.06%  | 625  | 2.90%
1972 | 12,114  | 64.36% | 6,661  | 35.39%  | 48  | 0.26%
1968 | 8,030  | 41.66%  | 10,870  | 56.39% | 375  | 1.95%
1964 | 5,340  | 28.14%  | 13,616  | 71.76% | 19  | 0.10%
1960 | 11,715  | 56.69% | 8,951  | 43.31%  | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 12,607  | 73.04% | 4,653  | 26.96%  | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 11,575  | 66.62% | 5,757  | 33.13%  | 43  | 0.25%
1948 | 7,444  | 58.24% | 5,183  | 40.55%  | 155  | 1.21%
1944 | 8,053  | 55.76% | 6,377  | 44.16%  | 12  | 0.08%
1940 | 8,656  | 53.49% | 7,502  | 46.36%  | 25  | 0.15%
1936 | 8,778  | 57.13% | 5,836  | 37.98%  | 752  | 4.89%
1932 | 8,264  | 52.73% | 7,179  | 45.80%  | 230  | 1.47%
1928 | 9,409  | 69.75% | 4,015  | 29.76%  | 66  | 0.49%
1924 | 7,062  | 69.90% | 2,563  | 25.37%  | 478  | 4.73%
1920 | 7,301  | 64.59% | 3,906  | 34.55%  | 97  | 0.86%
1916 | 4,026  | 51.73% | 3,625  | 46.58%  | 131  | 1.68%
1912 | 1,234  | 16.69%  | 2,941  | 39.79%  | 3,217  | 43.52%
1908 | 4,179  | 64.53% | 2,093  | 32.32%  | 204  | 3.15%

## Recreation

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

### Towns

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

* Lincoln Plantation
* Magalloway (former)

### Unorganized territories

[edit]

* North Oxford
* South Oxford
* Milton

### Census-designated places

[edit]

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

### Other unincorporated communities

[edit]

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

## Education

[edit]

School districts include:[21]

* Andover Public Schools
* Byron Public Schools
* Gilead School District
* Lincoln Plantation School District
* Upton School District
* Regional School Unit 10
* Regional School Unit 56
* Regional School Unit 78
* School Administrative District 17
* School Administrative District 44
* School Administrative District 55
* School Administrative District 72

There is also the Oxford Unorganized Territory.[21] Unorganized territory is not in any municipality.[22] The Maine Department of Education takes responsibility for coordinating school assignments in the unorganized territory.[23]

## See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Oxford County, Maine". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
4. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
8. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
9. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
10. ^ "QuickFacts. Oxford County, Maine". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
11. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
13. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
14. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
15. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
16. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
17. ^ "Here's a map of the US counties that flipped to Trump from Democrats". www.cnbc.com. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
18. ^ "Pivot Counties in Maine", ballotpedia.org, retrieved September 20, 2024
19. ^ Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions. "Registered & Enrolled Voters Statewide" (PDF). Maine SOS. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
20. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
21. ^ a b Geography Division (December 21, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Oxford County, ME (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 13, 2025. \- Text list
22. ^ "Education In Unorganized Territory (EUT)". Maine Department of Education. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
23. ^ "Education in the Unorganized Territory - Find Your School". Maine Department of Education. Retrieved July 13, 2025.

## Further reading

[edit]

* George J. Varney (1881), "Oxford County", Gazetteer of the State of Maine, Boston: B.B. Russell - via Internet Archive

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oxford County, Maine.

* 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

Places adjacent to Oxford County, Maine

|  | Le Granit Regional County Municipality, Quebec | Franklin County

|
|

|  |
Coös County, New Hampshire |

Oxford County, Maine

| Androscoggin County
|  |
Carroll County, New Hampshire | York County | Cumberland County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Oxford County, Maine, United States

County seat: Paris

Towns|

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

Oxford County map

Plantations|

* Lincoln

Unorganized
territories|

* Milton
* North Oxford
* South Oxford

CDPs|

* Bethel
* Dixfield
* Fryeburg
* Kezar Falls‡
* Mexico
* Norway
* Oxford
* Rumford
* South Paris

Other
villages|

* Center Lovell
* Dickvale
* East Andover
* East Dixfield‡
* Magalloway
* North Waterford
* Rumford Center
* Waterford Flat
* West Bethel

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county

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44°29′N 70°46′W﻿ / ﻿44.49°N 70.76°W﻿ / 44.49; -70.76
*[Pop.]: Population
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