Knox County, Maine Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Knox County
U.S. county
Knox County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Maine
Maine's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Maine
Founded	April 1, 1860
Named for	Henry Knox
Seat	Rockland
Largest city	Rockland
Area
• Total	1,144 sq mi (2,960 km²)
• Land	365 sq mi (950 km²)
• Water	779 sq mi (2,020 km²) 68%%
Population (2020)
• Total	40,607
• Density	35.496/sq mi (13.705/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

Knox County is a county located in the state of Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,607. Its county seat is Rockland. The county is named for Revolutionary War general and Secretary of War Henry Knox, who lived in the county from 1795 until his death in 1806. The county was established on April 1, 1860, and is the most recent county to be created in Maine. It was carved from parts of Waldo and Lincoln counties. The Union Fair, started in 1868, began as the efforts of the North Knox Agricultural and Horticultural Society.

Geography
- Adjacent counties
- National protected areas
Demographics
- 2010 census
Communities
Public buildings
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,144 square miles (2,960 km²), of which 365 square miles (950 km²) is land and 779 square miles (2,020 km²) (68%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Maine by land area. It was originally part of the Waldo Patent.

Adjacent counties

Lincoln County – west
Waldo County – north
Hancock County – northeast

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	32,716	—
1870	30,823	−5.8%
1880	32,863	6.6%
1890	31,473	−4.2%
1900	30,406	−3.4%
1910	28,981	−4.7%
1920	26,245	−9.4%
1930	27,693	5.5%
1940	27,191	−1.8%
1950	28,121	3.4%
1960	28,575	1.6%
1970	29,013	1.5%
1980	32,941	13.5%
1990	36,310	10.2%
2000	39,618	9.1%
2010	39,736	0.3%
2020	40,607	2.2%
2023 (est.)	40,977	3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2016

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 39,736 people, 17,258 households, and 10,662 families living in the county. The population density was 108.8 inhabitants per square mile (42.0/km²). There were 23,744 housing units at an average density of 65.0 units per square mile (25.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.5% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.3% were English, 19.0% were Irish, 12.8% were German, 6.9% were Scottish, and 5.9% were American.

Of the 17,258 households, 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.2% were non-families, and 31.0% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age was 46.2 years.

The median household income was $45,264 and the median family income was $55,830. Males had a median income of $40,712 versus $29,732 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,291. About 7.9% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

Rockland (county seat)

Towns

Plantation

Matinicus Isle

Unorganized territories

Criehaven
Muscle Ridge Islands

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated villages

Public buildings

An addition to the Knox County Courthouse designed by Scott Simons Architects was completed in 2005. It is connected to an annex built in 1977 that is adjacent to the historic, original building that was finished in 1874.

Knox County, Maine facts for kids

Contents