Somerset County, Maryland

Somerset County, Maryland
Seal
Location in the state of Maryland
Maryland's location in the U.S.
Founded	1666
Seat	Princess Anne
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	610.78 sq mi (1,582 km²) 327.21 sq mi (847 km²) 283.56 sq mi (734 km²), 46.4%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	26,470 81/sq mi (31.2/km²)
Website	http://www.co.somerset.md.us

Somerset County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Maryland, located on the state's Eastern Shore. It was named for Mary, Lady Somerset, the wife of Sir John Somerset and daughter of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour. She was the sister of Anne Calvert, Baroness Baltimore, née Anne Arundell, the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, who lent her name to Anne Arundel County. The county seat is Princess Anne. As of 2010, the population was 26,470. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Somerset County was created in 1666 by an Order in Council. In 1742 Worcester County was created from Somerset County. In 1867 portions of Somerset and Worcester Counties were taken to create Wicomico County.

The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

Law and government

Somerset County is governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms; all commissioners' terms will expire in 2010.

Current Somerset county commissioners:

District	Name	Party
1	James N. Ring	Democrat
2	Rex Simpkins	Democrat
3	Michael K. McCready	Democrat
4	C. Samuel Boston	Democrat
5	Paul T. Ward, Jr.	Republican

Boston is the President of the County Commission; Ring is the Vice President.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 610.78 square miles (1,581.9 km²), of which 327.21 square miles (847.5 km²) (or 53.57%) is land and 283.56 square miles (734.4 km²) (or 46.43%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Accomack County, Virginia (south)
• Wicomico County (north)
• Worcester County (east)

State protected area

The State of Maryland Deal Island Wildlife Management Area, a protected area, is in the northwest quadrant of the county. It encorporates not only Deal Island but the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. It is 13,000 acres (5,300 ha). It has over 9 miles (14 km) of flat trails.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	15,310		—
1800	17,358		13.4%
1810	17,195		−0.9%
1820	19,579		13.9%
1830	20,166		3.0%
1840	19,508		−3.3%
1850	22,456		15.1%
1860	24,992		11.3%
1870	18,190		−27.2%
1880	21,668		19.1%
1890	24,155		11.5%
1900	25,923		7.3%
1910	26,455		2.1%
1920	24,602		−7.0%
1930	23,382		−5.0%
1940	20,965		−10.3%
1950	20,745		−1.0%
1960	19,623		−5.4%
1970	18,924		−3.6%
1980	19,188		1.4%
1990	23,440		22.2%
2000	24,747		5.6%
2010	26,470		7.0%

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

• 53.5% White
• 42.3% Black
• 0.3% Native American
• 0.7% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 1.7% Two or more races
• 1.5% Other races
• 3.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 24,747 people, 8,361 households, and 5,444 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 10,055 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 56.4% White, 41.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest ancestry groups in the County are Black or African American (43%), English American (16%), German (8%), Irish (8%) and Italian(1%) ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 8,361 households out of which 38.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county the population was spread out with 18.5% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females there were 114.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.1 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,903, and the median income for a family was $37,643. Males had a median income of $27,496 versus $23,035 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,965. About 15.0% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:

• 1 city: Crisfield (incorporated 1872)
• 1 town: Princess Anne (incorporated 1733)

Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places (CDPs) in the county:

1. Chance
2. Dames Quarter
3. Deal Island
4. Eden
5. Fairmount
6. Frenchtown-Rumbly (a combination of the communities of Frenchtown and Rumbly recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
7. Mount Vernon historically known in parts as Hog's Neck, Cow Island or Jason
8. Smith Island
9. West Pocomoke

Other unincorporated places not listed as CDPs include:

1. Ewell
2. Kingston
3. Manokin
4. Marion Station
5. Oriole
6. Rehobeth
7. Rhodes Point
8. Shelltown
9. Tylerton
10. Upper Fairmount
11. Upper Falls
12. Wenona
13. Westover

Colleges and universities

• University of Maryland Eastern Shore

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerset County, Maryland

External links

• Somerset County Library
• Your Community Link: A Database of Community, Government, and Non-Profit organizations on the Lower Shore