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Androscoggin County, Maine

Coordinates: 44°10′N 70°13′W / 44.17°N 70.21°W / 44.17; -70.21
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Androscoggin County
County
Holy Cross Church, Lewiston
Holy Cross Church, Lewiston
Map of Maine highlighting Androscoggin County
Location within the U.S. state of Maine
Map of the United States highlighting Maine
Maine's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°10′N 70°13′W / 44.17°N 70.21°W / 44.17; -70.21
Country United States
State Maine
FoundedMarch 18, 1854
Named forthe Androscoggin tribe
SeatAuburn
Largest cityLewiston
Area
 • Total
497 sq mi (1,290 km2)
 • Land468 sq mi (1,210 km2)
 • Water29 sq mi (80 km2)  5.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
111,139
 • Density220/sq mi (86/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websiteandroscoggincountymaine.gov

Androscoggin County (French: Comté d'Androscoggin) is a county in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 111,139.[1] Its county seat is Auburn and its most populous city is Lewiston.[2]

Androscoggin County comprises the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area and is partially included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, Metropolitan New England City and Town Area. It is also a part of the Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, Maine combined statistical area.

Bates College is in the Androscoggin County city of Lewiston.

History

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Demand for a new county emerged when the residents of the rapidly growing town of Lewiston complained of the long distance they had to travel to reach Wiscasset, the county seat of Lincoln County, in which Lewiston was originally located. It was also an impractical circumstance as Lewiston's neighbor, Auburn, was part of Cumberland County. As the growing partnership of the two towns emerged, the case for the towns to be in the same county grew. Different plans were discussed, including Lewiston joining Cumberland County. Eventually, the idea of a new county came to the table. The debate then became over which town would be the center of the new county. Bath, Brunswick, and Lewiston each desired the distinction. Lewiston eventually won the debate. Androscoggin County was created in 1854 from towns originally in Cumberland County, Lincoln County, Kennebec County, and Oxford County.[3]

The next issue centered on where to put the county seat, as both Lewiston and Auburn desired to be named the county seat. It would eventually be put to a vote, with both towns putting different offers on the table, including ideas to cut the costs of the new county buildings for surrounding towns. Auburn would eventually win a convincing victory, with the towns on each side of the river voting for the town on their side. As more people then lived to the west of the Androscoggin River, Auburn won the vote.[4]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 497 square miles (1,290 km2), of which 468 square miles (1,210 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (5.9%) is water.[5] It is the second-smallest county in Maine by total area, after neighboring Sagadahoc County.

The Androscoggin River flows through the center of the county, as well as forming a short part of the county line with Sagadahoc County in the south. The Adroscoggin Riverlands State Park lies along the river, north of Auburn. The county is also the site of Poland Spring, the original source of the bottled water brand bearing its name.

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
186029,726—
187035,86620.7%
188045,04225.6%
189048,9688.7%
190054,24210.8%
191059,82210.3%
192065,79610.0%
193071,2148.2%
194076,6797.7%
195083,5949.0%
196086,3123.3%
197091,2795.8%
198099,6579.2%
1990105,2595.6%
2000103,793−1.4%
2010107,7023.8%
2020111,1393.2%
2023 (est.)113,765[6]2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10] 2010–2016[11] 2017[12]

2010 census

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At the 2010 census, there were 107,702 people, 44,315 households, and 28,045 families living in the county.[13] The population density was 230.2 inhabitants per square mile (88.9/km2). There were 49,090 housing units at an average density of 104.9 per square mile (40.5/km2).[14] The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 3.6% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population.[13] The largest ancestry groups were as follows: 21.2% cited English ancestry, 20.5% French Canadian, 20.1% French (not counted in the previous group), 15.5% Irish, 8.1% German, and 5.0% American.[15]

Of the 44,315 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.7% were non-families, and 28.3% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 39.8 years.[13]

The median household income was $44,470 and the median family income was $55,045. Males had a median income of $41,554 versus $31,852 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,752. About 9.7% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.[16]

2020 census

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At the 2020 census, there were 111,132 people and 45,825 households living in the county.[17] The population density was 237.5 inhabitants per square mile (91.7/km2) inhabitants per square mile. There were 50,844 housing units at a density of 102.3 per square mile (39.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.6% white, 5.4% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin accounted for 2.2% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: 19.7% English, 18.6% French, 14.6% Irish, 5.7% German, 4.7% Italian, 3.7% Scottish, and 2.1% Subsaharan African.[18] 10.6% of the population over age 5 spoke a language other than English at home.[19]

The median household income was $64,500, and $73,029 for families. The per capita income was $34,273. At 12.7%, Androscoggin County has a poverty rate nearly 2% higher than the state as a whole. The poverty rate for those under 18 was 19.4% and 8.5% for individuals aged 65 and over.[20]

Media

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Newspapers

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  • The Sun Journal prints a daily newspaper in four different editions statewide. The Sun Journal was the recipient of the 2008 New England Daily Newspaper of the Year and the 2009 Maine Press Association Newspaper of the Year.

Politics

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Presidential elections

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In presidential elections, Androscoggin County is considered a "swing area" by most political standards, with a fairly even split between Democratic and Republican voters. It was the only county in Maine to be won by Democrats Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and George McGovern in 1972. Jimmy Carter also carried the county twice. In 1984 and 1988, it went for Republican candidates Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, who also won the state of Maine. However, the county swayed in favor of Republican Donald Trump for both the 2016 and 2020 elections;[21] even as the state as a whole was won by Democrats Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively.[22]

United States presidential election results for Androscoggin County, Maine[23]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 30,605 52.01% 27,019 45.91% 1,223 2.08%
2020 29,268 49.85% 27,617 47.04% 1,822 3.10%
2016 28,227 50.77% 23,009 41.38% 4,365 7.85%
2012 22,232 42.06% 28,989 54.84% 1,641 3.10%
2008 22,671 41.33% 31,017 56.55% 1,162 2.12%
2004 24,519 43.73% 30,503 54.40% 1,045 1.86%
2000 19,948 40.51% 26,251 53.31% 3,046 6.19%
1996 12,053 25.79% 26,428 56.55% 8,250 17.65%
1992 14,174 25.70% 22,247 40.34% 18,723 33.95%
1988 23,061 51.72% 21,165 47.47% 359 0.81%
1984 26,904 57.24% 19,885 42.31% 211 0.45%
1980 18,399 39.93% 22,715 49.29% 4,966 10.78%
1976 16,330 37.40% 26,484 60.65% 851 1.95%
1972 19,406 49.86% 19,509 50.12% 9 0.02%
1968 10,390 27.52% 26,820 71.04% 542 1.44%
1964 7,441 19.82% 30,080 80.14% 14 0.04%
1960 14,654 35.96% 26,097 64.04% 0 0.00%
1956 20,385 56.27% 15,842 43.73% 0 0.00%
1952 18,049 50.59% 17,560 49.22% 67 0.19%
1948 11,443 39.24% 17,405 59.68% 317 1.09%
1944 10,927 36.38% 19,078 63.51% 34 0.11%
1940 10,394 34.99% 19,273 64.88% 40 0.13%
1936 10,480 38.14% 16,657 60.62% 340 1.24%
1932 9,838 40.05% 14,441 58.79% 283 1.15%
1928 11,790 51.59% 10,940 47.87% 124 0.54%
1924 9,680 59.80% 4,733 29.24% 1,774 10.96%
1920 9,565 60.83% 5,757 36.61% 402 2.56%
1916 4,496 43.71% 5,464 53.12% 326 3.17%
1912 859 8.44% 4,516 44.38% 4,801 47.18%
1908 4,381 56.06% 3,095 39.60% 339 4.34%
1904 4,393 62.31% 2,206 31.29% 451 6.40%
1900 4,648 57.44% 3,182 39.32% 262 3.24%
1896 5,548 66.61% 2,513 30.17% 268 3.22%
1892 4,326 52.47% 3,452 41.87% 466 5.65%
1888 4,893 54.99% 3,585 40.29% 420 4.72%
1884 4,745 52.13% 3,469 38.11% 889 9.77%
1880 4,974 52.76% 4,215 44.71% 239 2.54%
1876 4,294 58.26% 3,077 41.74% 0 0.00%
1872 4,187 72.48% 1,590 27.52% 0 0.00%
1868 4,427 68.24% 2,060 31.76% 0 0.00%
1864 3,363 63.46% 1,936 36.54% 0 0.00%
1860 3,526 64.35% 1,838 33.55% 115 2.10%
1856 3,388 64.25% 1,699 32.22% 186 3.53%

State politics

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In 2012, the county voted 54% against Maine Question 1, 2012 – a measure to legalize same-sex marriage, but the referendum passed in the state with 53%.[24]

County government

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Androscoggin County is governed by an elected county commission consisting of seven members representing single-member districts.[25] Currently, the county commissioners are:

  • District 1 Edouard Plourde (D)
  • District 2 Roland Poirier (D)
  • District 3 Brian Ames (R)
  • District 4 Garrett Mason (R)
  • District 5 Andrew Lewis (D)
  • District 6 Terri Kelly (R)
  • District 7 Sally A. Christner (R)

Voter registration

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Active voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024[26]
Democratic 22,352 32.54%
Republican 20,684 30.11%
Unenrolled 19,664 28.62%
Green Independent 3,199 4.66%
Libertarian 1,403 2.04%
No Labels 1,397 2.03%
Total 68,699 100%

Communities

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Incorporated towns and cities

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Census-designated places

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Economy

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Some agriculture exists here.[27] Androscoggin is especially known for poultry – ranking #1 in the state for the poultry and egg category[27] from 77 producing farms.[28] The county is also top in the state for hog and pig production.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Androscoggin County, Maine". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ 1840 Map of Maine Counties with Town Boundaries. Accessed July 2021.
  4. ^ Hodgkin, Douglas I., Frontier to Industrial City:Lewiston Town Politics 1768–1863. Just Write Books, Topsham, Maine, 2008
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  12. ^ "QuickFacts. Androscoggin County, ME". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  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. ^ "Androscoggin County, Maine". www.census.gov.
  18. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  19. ^ "Androscoggin County, Maine". www.census.gov.
  20. ^ https://data.census.gov/profile/Androscoggin_County,_Maine?g=050XX00US23001#housing [bare URL]
  21. ^ David Leip's Presidential Atlas (Maps for Maine by election)
  22. ^ "Pivot Counties in Maine", ballotpedia.org, retrieved September 20, 2024
  23. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  24. ^ "State of Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions". Maine.gov. November 6, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  25. ^ "Androscoggin County Maine". www.androscoggincountymaine.gov. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  26. ^ Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions (March 29, 2024). "Registered & Enrolled Voters Statewide" (PDF). Maine SOS. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  27. ^ a b c "Androscoggin County Maine County Profile 2017 Census of Agriculture". 2017 Census Publications. 2017. cp23001. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  28. ^ "National Agricultural Statistics Service - 2017 Census of Agriculture - Volume 1, Chapter 1: State Level Data". USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2022.

Further reading

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