South Aroostook, Maine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
South Aroostook, Maine
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Location of South Aroostook, Maine
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Aroostook |
| Area | |
| • Total | 368.5 sq mi (954.4 km2) |
| • Land | 357.2 sq mi (925.1 km2) |
| • Water | 11.3 sq mi (29.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 528 ft (161 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 579 |
| • Density | 1.5712/sq mi (0.6067/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-69930 |
| GNIS feature ID | 582731 |
South Aroostook is a special kind of area in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. It's called an unorganized territory. This means it doesn't have its own local government like a town or city. Instead, it's managed by the county or state. In 2020, 579 people lived there.
Contents
What is South Aroostook Like?
Land and Water Area
South Aroostook is quite large. It covers about 954.4 square kilometers (368.5 square miles). Most of this area is land, around 925.1 square kilometers (357.2 square miles). The rest, about 29.2 square kilometers (11.3 square miles), is water.
Townships in the Territory
Within this unorganized territory, there are 13 smaller areas called townships. Some of these include Molunkus, Benedicta, Silver Ridge, Bancroft, and Forkstown.
Who Lives in South Aroostook?
Population Changes Over Time
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 243 | — | |
| 1980 | 261 | 7.4% | |
| 1990 | 404 | 54.8% | |
| 2000 | 486 | 20.3% | |
| 2010 | 386 | −20.6% | |
| 2020 | 579 | 50.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The number of people living in South Aroostook has changed over the years. In 2020, the population grew a lot, by 50%. This was mainly because the former area of Cary became part of South Aroostook in 2019. Cary had 218 people in 2010.
People and Households in 2000
Back in 2000, there were 486 people living in South Aroostook. These people lived in 188 households. Most households (62.2%) were married couples. About 29.8% of households had children under 18. The average household had about 2.58 people.
Most people (99.79%) were White, and a small number (0.21%) were Black or African American.
Age Groups
In 2000, about a quarter of the population (25.3%) was under 18 years old. About 14.4% of residents were 65 or older. The average age was 42 years.
A Look at South Aroostook's History
Founding of Benedicta
One interesting part of South Aroostook's history is the founding of Benedicta. In 1834, a religious leader named Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick started Benedicta as a new home for Irish Catholics from Boston.
These families began to arrive in 1838. They built a small village around a church called St. Benedict Church. Bishop Fenwick even thought about building a college there, but he later chose Worcester, Massachusetts, for the College of the Holy Cross.
See also
In Spanish: South Aroostook (Maine) para niños
