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Piscataquis County, Maine facts for kids

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Piscataquis County
American Woolen Company Foxcroft Mill
Map of Maine highlighting Piscataquis County
Location within the U.S. state of Maine
Map of the United States highlighting Maine
Maine's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Maine
Founded March 23, 1838
Named for Piscataquis River
Seat Dover-Foxcroft
Largest town Dover-Foxcroft
Area
 • Total 4,378 sq mi (11,340 km2)
 • Land 3,961 sq mi (10,260 km2)
 • Water 417 sq mi (1,080 km2)  9.5%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 16,800
 • Density 3.837/sq mi (1.482/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Piscataquis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,800, making it Maine's least-populous county. Its county seat is Dover-Foxcroft. The county was incorporated on 23 March 1838, taken from the western part of Penobscot County and the eastern part of Somerset County, and is named for an Abenaki word meaning "branch of the river" or "at the river branch."

It is located at the geographic center of Maine. Originally it extended north to the Canada–US border, but in 1844 its northern portion was annexed by Aroostook County. In land area, Piscataquis is one of the largest U.S. counties east of the Mississippi River. It is also one of two counties in the Northeast (and seven counties east of the Mississippi River) that meet Frederick Jackson Turner's requirements for "frontier" country – that is, having fewer than six inhabitants per square mile, the other being Hamilton County, New York.

Baxter State Park, a large wilderness preserve, is located in Piscataquis County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,378 square miles (11,340 km2), of which 3,961 square miles (10,260 km2) is land and 417 square miles (1,080 km2) (9.5%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Maine by area. The largest lake in the county is Moosehead Lake at 120 square miles (310 km2). The highest natural point in the county and the state of Maine is Mount Katahdin at 5,271 feet (1,606 meters), while the geographic center is Greeley Landing in the Town of Dover-Foxcroft.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 13,138
1850 14,735 12.2%
1860 15,032 2.0%
1870 14,403 −4.2%
1880 14,872 3.3%
1890 16,134 8.5%
1900 16,949 5.1%
1910 19,887 17.3%
1920 20,554 3.4%
1930 18,231 −11.3%
1940 18,467 1.3%
1950 18,617 0.8%
1960 17,379 −6.6%
1970 16,285 −6.3%
1980 17,634 8.3%
1990 18,653 5.8%
2000 17,235 −7.6%
2010 17,535 1.7%
2020 16,800 −4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2016

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 17,535 people, 7,825 households, and 4,948 families residing in the county. The population density was 4.4 inhabitants per square mile (1.7/km2). There were 15,340 housing units at an average density of 3.9 per square mile (1.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.9% white, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.4% were English, 16.5% were Irish, 13.6% were American, 8.7% were German, 5.5% were Scottish, and 5.3% were French Canadian.

Of the 7,825 households, 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.8% were non-families, and 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.70. The median age was 48.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,016 and the median income for a family was $43,821. Males had a median income of $34,575 versus $28,014 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,870. About 12.3% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Piscataquis County has one of the lowest rates of religious adherence in the United States. The county ranks at 3,085 of 3,148 counties (lowest 2%), with 20.5% of the population regularly attending congregations or claiming religious membership.

In Maine, Piscataquis County ranks tenth of the 16 counties in percentage of religious adherents. The State of Maine has the lowest percentage of religious adherents in the United States at 27%.

Communities

Towns

Plantations

Census-designated places

Unorganized territories

Notable residents

  • Berenice Abbott, photographer
  • David Mallett, singer-songwriter
  • Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, inventor
  • Sir Harry Oakes, philanthropist
  • Roxanne Quimby, businesswoman
  • Max Schubel, composer
  • Oswald Tippo, botanist

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Piscataquis para niños

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