York County, Maine

County in Maine, United States

County in Maine

York County

County

York County Courthouse in Alfred

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Maine

Maine's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 43°26′45″N 70°39′48″W﻿ / ﻿43.445782°N 70.663216°W﻿ / 43.445782; -70.663216
Country|  United States
State|  Maine
Founded| 1636
Named after| York, England[1]
Seat| Alfred
Largest city| Biddeford
Area

• Total

| 1,270 sq mi (3,300 km2)
• Land| 991 sq mi (2,570 km2)
• Water| 279 sq mi (720 km2)  22%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 211,972

• Estimate

(2021)

| 214,591
• Density| 170/sq mi (64/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 1st
Website| yorkcountymaine.gov

York County is both the southernmost and the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Maine, along the state of New Hampshire's eastern border. It is divided from Strafford County, New Hampshire, by the Salmon Falls River and the connected tidal estuary, the Piscataqua River. York County was permanently established in 1636. Several of Maine's earliest colonial settlements are found in the county, which is the state's oldest and one of the oldest in the United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 211,972,[2] making it Maine's second-most populous county. Its county seat is Alfred.[3] York County is part of the Portland–South Portland, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

## History

[edit]

### 1622 patent

[edit]

The first patent establishing the Province of Maine was granted on August 10, 1622, to Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason by the Plymouth Council for New England, which itself had been granted a royal patent by James I to the coast of North America between the 40th and the 48th parallels "from sea to sea". This first patent encompassed the coast between the Merrimack and Kennebec rivers, as well as an irregular parcel of land between the headwaters of the two rivers. In 1629, Gorges and Mason agreed to split the patent at the Piscataqua River, with Mason retaining the land south of the river as the Province of New Hampshire.

Gorges named his more northerly piece of territory New Somersetshire. This venture failed, however, because of lack of funds and colonial settlement. Also failed was a venture by Capt. Christopher Levett, an agent for Gorges and a member of the Council for New England. With the King's blessing, Levett embarked on a scheme to found a colony on the site of present-day Portland. Levett was granted 6,000 acres (24 km2) of land, the first Englishman to own the soil of Portland. There he proposed to found a settlement named York after the city of his birth in England. Ultimately, the project was abandoned, the men Levett left behind disappeared, and Levett died aboard ship on his return to England from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. One part of Levett's scheme did survive: the name of York, which now adorns the county.

The now-decommissioned Fort Levett on Cushing Island in Casco Bay is named for Capt. Levett.

### York County was formed in 1636

[edit]

Gorges obtained a renewed patent for the area between the Piscataqua and Kennebec Rivers, in the form of a royal charter from Charles I of England. The area was roughly the same as that covered in the 1622 patent after the 1629 split with Mason. The second colony also foundered for lack of money and settlers, although it survived the death of Gorges in 1647.

### Absorption by Massachusetts

[edit]

In the 1650s the nearby Massachusetts Bay Colony asserted territorial claims over what is now southern Maine, and by 1658 had completely absorbed what is now southwestern Maine into York County, Massachusetts.

The first known and recorded offer for a purchase of land in York County is in 1668, when Francis Small traded goods with the Newichewannock tribe of this area. Their Chief Wesumbe, also known as Captain Sandy, was friendly with Small and warned him of a plot against his life. A group of renegade tribesmen planned on murdering Small instead of paying him with the furs that were owed to him. Small escaped after watching his house in what is now Cornish, Maine, burn to the ground. Small returned and rebuilt. The Chief made up the loss by selling Small all the lands bounded by the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers, the Saco River, and the New Hampshire border. Known now as the five Ossipee towns, the tract included all of Limington, Limerick, Cornish (formerly named Francisborough), Newfield and Parsonsfield.

The large size of the county led to its division in 1760, with Cumberland and Lincoln counties carved out of its eastern portions. When Massachusetts adopted its state government in 1780, it created the District of Maine to manage its eastern territories. In 1805 the northern portion of York County was separated to form part of Oxford County. When Maine achieved statehood in 1820 all of the counties of the District of Maine became counties of Maine.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,270 square miles (3,300 km2), of which 991 square miles (2,570 km2) is land and 279 square miles (720 km2) (22%) is water.[4]

Community High Points Mountain Name  | Elevation (feet)  | Community

|
|

Clark Mountain  | 1,320  | Cornish
Wiggin Mountain  | 1,300  | Parsonsfield
Sawyer Mountain, main summit  | 1,200  | Limington
Sawyer Mountain, north summit  | 1,200  | Limerick
Province Mountain  | 1,176  | Newfield
Fort Ridge, main summit  | 1,114  | Shapleigh
Ossipee Hill  | 1,058  | Waterboro
Hussey Hill  | 1,051  | Acton
Fort Ridge, south slope  | 1,000  | Alfred
Prospect Hill  | 880  | Lebanon
Bauneg Beg Hill  | 866  | North Berwick
Mount Agamenticus | 692  | York
Mount Hope  | 680  | Sanford
Whitehouse Hill  | 581  | Hollis
Grant Hill  | 502  | Lyman
No name (hill)  | 385  | Buxton
Welch Hill  | 370  | South Berwick
No name (hill)  | 360  | Wells
Clark Hill  | 360  | Dayton
Third Hill  | 360  | Eliot
No name (hill)  | 300  | Biddeford
No name (hill)  | 240  | Arundel
No name (hill)  | 230  | Saco
No name (hill)  | 223  | Kennebunk
6 unnamed locations  | 200  | Kennebunkport
5 unnamed locations  | 160  | Ogunquit
Cutts Ridge  | 140  | Kittery
No name (hill)  | 138  | Old Orchard Beach

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Oxford County – north
* Cumberland County – northeast
* Rockingham County, New Hampshire – southwest
* Strafford County, New Hampshire – west
* Carroll County, New Hampshire – northwest

### National protected area

[edit]

* Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (part)

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1790| 29,078| | —
1800| 37,896| | 30.3%
1810| 41,877| | 10.5%
1820| 46,283| | 10.5%
1830| 51,722| | 11.8%
1840| 54,034| | 4.5%
1850| 60,098| | 11.2%
1860| 62,107| | 3.3%
1870| 60,174| | −3.1%
1880| 62,257| | 3.5%
1890| 62,829| | 0.9%
1900| 64,885| | 3.3%
1910| 68,526| | 5.6%
1920| 70,696| | 3.2%
1930| 72,934| | 3.2%
1940| 82,550| | 13.2%
1950| 93,541| | 13.3%
1960| 99,402| | 6.3%
1970| 111,576| | 12.2%
1980| 139,666| | 25.2%
1990| 164,587| | 17.8%
2000| 186,742| | 13.5%
2010| 197,131| | 5.6%
2020| 211,972| | 7.5%
2023 (est.)| 218,586| [5]| 3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8]
1990–2000[9] 2010–2019[10]

### 2000 census

[edit]

At the 2000 census,[11] there were 186,742 people, 74,563 households and 50,851 families living in the county. The population density was 188 inhabitants per square mile (73/km2). There were 94,234 housing units at an average density of 95 per square mile (37/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.56% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 0.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The most cited ethnicities were English (17.9%), French (14.5%), French Canadian (13.9%), Irish (12.5%), United States or American (9.6%) and Italian (5.1%). 90.84% of the population spoke English and 6.92% spoke French as their first language.[12]

There were 74,563 households, of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.96.

Age distribution was 24.80% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males. The median age was 38 years.

The median household income was $43,630, and the median family income was $51,419. Males had a median income of $36,317 versus $26,016 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,225. About 5.90% of families and 8.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.90% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those age 65 or over.

### 2010 census

[edit]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 197,131 people, 81,009 households, and 53,136 families living in the county.[13] The population density was 199.0 inhabitants per square mile (76.8/km2). There were 105,773 housing units at an average density of 106.8 per square mile (41.2/km2).[14] The racial makeup of the county was 96.4% white, 1.1% Asian, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population.[13] In terms of ancestry, 22.3% were English, 19.3% were Irish, 9.8% were French Canadian, 8.1% were German, 7.9% were Italian, 5.8% were American, and 5.6% were Scottish.[15]

Of the 81,009 households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.4% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 43.0 years.[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $55,008 and the median income for a family was $65,077. Males had a median income of $47,117 versus $34,001 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,137. About 5.6% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.[16]

## Politics

[edit]

Historically, York County was one of the more Democratic counties in Maine, a solid Republican state for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. York backed Democrat Woodrow Wilson in both 1912 and 1916, and voted for the Democratic nominee in each election from 1936 to 1948, even as the state as a whole backed the Republican in each of those elections. It was also one of only two counties in Maine to back Democrat John F. Kennedy in 1960 (Androscoggin was the other). Since 1952, it has voted for the statewide winner in each presidential election, except for 1960 and 1976 when Democrat Jimmy Carter won York County while the state as a whole voted for Republican Gerald Ford. Although home to the Bush family compound, it only supported the Bush family in one of its four presidential runs (that of George H. W. Bush in 1988). Democrat Joe Biden became the first candidate from any party to break 70,000 votes in the county, doing so in 2020.

At the same time, it has voted for Republican Senator Susan Collins in all of her reelection campaigns, most recently in 2020.

United States presidential election results for York County, Maine[17] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 58,054  | 43.83%  | 71,813  | 54.22% | 2,585  | 1.95%
2020 | 54,817  | 42.28%  | 71,189  | 54.90% | 3,653  | 2.82%
2016 | 50,403  | 44.11%  | 55,844  | 48.87% | 8,027  | 7.02%
2012 | 43,900  | 40.63%  | 61,551  | 56.96% | 2,606  | 2.41%
2008 | 42,389  | 38.83%  | 64,799  | 59.36% | 1,973  | 1.81%
2004 | 49,526  | 45.01%  | 58,702  | 53.35% | 1,805  | 1.64%
2000 | 42,304  | 44.74%  | 46,618  | 49.31% | 5,628  | 5.95%
1996 | 26,594  | 32.05%  | 42,317  | 51.00% | 14,068  | 16.95%
1992 | 32,241  | 34.09%  | 35,507  | 37.55% | 26,815  | 28.36%
1988 | 46,334  | 59.98% | 30,262  | 39.17%  | 653  | 0.85%
1984 | 43,554  | 60.43% | 28,241  | 39.19%  | 275  | 0.38%
1980 | 31,412  | 46.31% | 28,279  | 41.69%  | 8,146  | 12.01%
1976 | 27,380  | 44.95%  | 31,996  | 52.52% | 1,540  | 2.53%
1972 | 30,452  | 57.53% | 22,464  | 42.44%  | 20  | 0.04%
1968 | 18,931  | 38.91%  | 28,817  | 59.23% | 904  | 1.86%
1964 | 13,339  | 28.10%  | 34,083  | 71.80% | 45  | 0.09%
1960 | 25,763  | 49.60%  | 26,171  | 50.39% | 3  | 0.01%
1956 | 29,256  | 62.03% | 17,910  | 37.97%  | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 27,045  | 56.74% | 20,524  | 43.06%  | 95  | 0.20%
1948 | 17,819  | 46.00%  | 20,554  | 53.06% | 364  | 0.94%
1944 | 18,122  | 45.82%  | 21,386  | 54.08% | 39  | 0.10%
1940 | 16,547  | 42.59%  | 22,276  | 57.33% | 32  | 0.08%
1936 | 17,827  | 48.09%  | 18,017  | 48.60% | 1,226  | 3.31%
1932 | 17,301  | 53.53% | 14,760  | 45.67%  | 258  | 0.80%
1928 | 18,671  | 64.78% | 10,030  | 34.80%  | 119  | 0.41%
1924 | 16,244  | 68.17% | 6,004  | 25.20%  | 1,580  | 6.63%
1920 | 13,536  | 65.77% | 6,852  | 33.29%  | 192  | 0.93%
1916 | 6,375  | 47.45%  | 6,854  | 51.02% | 206  | 1.53%
1912 | 3,960  | 30.25%  | 5,121  | 39.12% | 4,008  | 30.62%
1908 | 6,700  | 59.64% | 4,090  | 36.40%  | 445  | 3.96%
1904 | 7,096  | 68.41% | 2,866  | 27.63%  | 411  | 3.96%
1900 | 6,949  | 61.52% | 4,046  | 35.82%  | 300  | 2.66%
1896 | 7,532  | 66.44% | 3,456  | 30.49%  | 348  | 3.07%
1892 | 6,387  | 53.20% | 5,237  | 43.62%  | 382  | 3.18%
1888 | 7,255  | 55.20% | 5,576  | 42.43%  | 311  | 2.37%
1884 | 7,127  | 51.01% | 5,939  | 42.51%  | 906  | 6.48%
1880 | 7,700  | 51.23% | 7,090  | 47.18%  | 239  | 1.59%

### Voter registration

[edit]

Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024[18]

| Democratic | 54,897  | 36.44%
| Unenrolled  | 47,915  | 31.81%
| Republican | 41,260  | 27.39%
| Green Independent | 4,736  | 3.14%
| No Labels | 1,166  | 0.77%
| Libertarian | 656  | 0.44%
Total  | 150,630  | 100%

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Biddeford
* Saco
* Sanford

### Towns

[edit]

* Acton
* Alfred (county seat)
* Arundel
* Berwick
* Buxton
* Cornish
* Dayton
* Eliot
* Hollis
* Kennebunk
* Kennebunkport
* Kittery
* Lebanon
* Limerick
* Limington
* Lyman
* Newfield
* North Berwick
* Ogunquit
* Old Orchard Beach
* Parsonsfield
* Shapleigh
* South Berwick
* Waterboro
* Wells
* York

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Alfred
* Berwick
* Cape Neddick
* Cornish
* Kennebunk
* Kennebunkport
* Kittery
* Kittery Point
* Lake Arrowhead
* North Berwick
* South Berwick
* South Eliot
* West Kennebunk
* York Harbor

### Unincorporated villages or neighborhoods

[edit]

* Bald Head
* Bar Mills
* Bedell Crossing
* Cape Porpoise
* East Parsonsfield
* East Waterboro
* Felch Corner
* Ocean Park
* Springvale
* York Beach
* York Cliffs

York County's most populous cities and towns at the 2010 US Census  Biddeford
(21,277)
| Sanford
(20,798)
| Saco
(18,482)
| York
(12,529)
| Kennebunk
(10,798)
| Wells
(9,589)
| Kittery
(9,490)

|
|
|
|
|
|

Old Orchard Beach
(8,624)
| Buxton
(8,034)
| Waterboro
(7,693)
| Berwick
(7,246)
| South Berwick
(7,220)
| Eliot
(6,204)
| Lebanon
(6,031)

North Berwick
(4,576)
| Lyman
(4,344)
| Hollis
(4,281)
| Arundel
(4,022)
| Limington
(3,713)
| Kennebunkport
(3,474)
| Alfred
(3,019)

Limerick
(2,892)
| Shapleigh
(2,668)
| Acton
(2,447)
| Dayton
(1,965)
| Parsonsfield
(1,898)
| Newfield
(1,522)
| Cornish
(1,403)

Ogunquit
(892)

## Education

[edit]

School districts are:[19]

* Acton School District
* Biddeford School District
* Dayton Public Schools
* Kittery School District
* Saco Public Schools
* Sanford School District
* School Administrative District 35
* School Administrative District 06
* Wells-Ogunquit Community School District
* York School District
* School Administrative District 55
* School Administrative District 57
* School Administrative District 60
* Regional School Unit 21
* Regional School Unit 23

## See also

[edit]

* History of Maine
* National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Maine
* York County, Maine Tercentenary half dollar, 1936 commemorative coin

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Yates, Edgar A.P. (June 13, 1928). "Some Maine town names". The Lewiston Daily Sun. p. 4. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: York County, Maine". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
5. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
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. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
10. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. ^ "Language Map Data Center". www.mla.org. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
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. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
18. ^ Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions. "Registered & Enrolled Voters Statewide" (PDF). Maine SOS. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 7, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
19. ^ Geography Division (January 14, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: York County, ME (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2025. \- Text list

## Further reading

[edit]

* W. Woodford Clayton, History of York County, Maine: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1880.

## External links

[edit]

* Official Website of York County
* Maine Genealogy: York County, Maine

Places adjacent to York County, Maine

| Carroll County, New Hampshire | Oxford County | Cumberland County

|
|

|  |
Strafford County, New Hampshire |

York County, Maine

|  |
Rockingham County, New Hampshire |  | Atlantic Ocean

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of York County, Maine, United States

County seat: Alfred

Cities|

* Biddeford
* Saco
* Sanford

York County map

Towns|

* Acton
* Alfred
* Arundel
* Berwick
* Buxton
* Cornish
* Dayton
* Eliot
* Hollis
* Kennebunk
* Kennebunkport
* Kittery
* Lebanon
* Limerick
* Limington
* Lyman
* Newfield
* North Berwick
* Ogunquit
* Old Orchard Beach
* Parsonsfield
* Shapleigh
* South Berwick
* Waterboro
* Wells
* York

CDPs|

* Alfred
* Berwick
* Cape Neddick
* Cornish
* Kennebunk
* Kennebunkport
* Kezar Falls‡
* Kittery
* Kittery Point
* Lake Arrowhead
* North Berwick
* South Berwick
* South Eliot
* West Kennebunk
* York Harbor

Unincorporated
communities
and villages|

* Bald Head
* Bar Mills
* Bedell Crossing
* Biddeford Pool
* Cape Porpoise
* East Parsonsfield
* East Waterboro
* Felch Corner
* Hills Beach
* Moody Beach
* Ocean Park
* Perkins Cove
* Springvale
* York Beach
* York Cliffs

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county

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43°25′N 70°40′W﻿ / ﻿43.41°N 70.67°W﻿ / 43.41; -70.67
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