Map of Maine Counties and Baxter Park
is the fourth largest in population of the sixteen counties, located in central Maine and bisected by the Kennebec River. It was formed on February 20, 1799 from the northern part of Lincoln County. It lost a large part of its original northern portion when Somerset County was created on June 1, 1809. At least eighteen exchanges of towns and boundaries occurred during the rest of the 19th century. See an 1856 map of the county in the Map Cabinet.
Since then the county roster of municipalities has remained stable, consisting of the following: the cities of Augusta, Gardiner, Hallowell, Waterville, and Winslow; and the towns of Albion, Belgrade, Benton, Chelsea, China, Clinton, Farmingdale, Fayette, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Mount Vernon, Oakland, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, Rome, Sidney, Vassalboro, Vienna, Wayne, West Gardiner, Windsor, and Winthrop.
Kennebec County Courthouse (2003)
In addition to being the State Capital, the City of Augusta is the County Seat, hosting the county government, courthouse, and the county jail. In 2010, Kennebec County’s population represented 9.6% of the state’s total, with a census count of 122,151, a 4.3% increase over 2000.
The 1830 Court House is historically significant especially for its architecture. It is among the first Greek Revival structures to appear in the State of Maine. The court house is built almost completely of granite which has a rough texture with the exception of finished details.
| People QuickFacts (updated November 4, 2010) | Kennebec County | Maine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population, 2009 estimate | 121,090 | 1,318,301 | |
| Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 | 3.4% | 3.4% | |
| Population estimates base (April 1) 2000 | 117,115 | 1,274,915 | |
| Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2009 | 5.2% | 5.4% | |
| Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2009 | 20.7% | 20.6% | |
| Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2009 | 15.5% | 15.6% | |
| Female persons, percent, 2009 | 51.3% | 51.2% | |
| White persons, percent, 2009 (a) | 97.0% | 96.1% | |
| Black persons, percent, 2009 (a) | 0.6% | 1.2% | |
| American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2009 (a) | 0.5% | 0.6% | |
| Asian persons, percent, 2009 (a) | 0.8% | 1.0% | |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2009 (a) | Z | Z | |
| Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2009 | 1.1% | 1.1% | |
| Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2009 (b) | 1.2% | 1.4% | |
| White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2009 | 95.8% | 94.9% | |
| Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over | 60.8% | 59.6% | |
| Foreign born persons, percent, 2000 | 2.2% | 2.9% | |
| Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000 | 7.8% | 7.8% | |
| High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000 | 85.2% | 85.4% | |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000 | 20.7% | 22.9% | |
| Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000 | 22,923 | 237,910 | |
| Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000 | 22.6 | 22.7 | |
| Housing units, 2009 | 60,779 | 704,578 | |
| Homeownership rate, 2000 | 71.2% | 71.6% | |
| Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000 | 23.1% | 20.3% | |
| Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000 | $87,200 | $98,700 | |
| Households, 2000 | 47,683 | 518,200 | |
| Persons per household, 2000 | 2.38 | 2.39 | |
| Median household income, 2008 | $45,511 | $46,419 | |
| Per capita money income, 1999 | $18,520 | $19,533 | |
| Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008 | 11.8% | 12.6% | |
| Business QuickFacts | Kennebec County | Maine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private nonfarm establishments, 2008 | 3,413 | 41,7551 | |
| Private nonfarm employment, 2008 | 45,793 | 509,0931 | |
| Private nonfarm employment, percent change 2000-2008 | 5.9% | 3.5%1 | |
| Nonemployer establishments, 2008 | 8,993 | 113,522 | |
| Total number of firms, 2002 | 10,901 | 135,410 | |
| Black-owned firms, percent, 2002 | F | 0.2% | |
| American Indian and Alaska Native owned firms, percent, 2002 | F | 0.5% | |
| Asian-owned firms, percent, 2002 | F | 0.6% | |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander owned firms, percent, 2002 | F | S | |
| Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2002 | F | 0.5% | |
| Women-owned firms, percent, 2002 | 21.4% | 24.0% | |
| Manufacturers shipments, 2002 ($1000) | 596,263 | 13,851,915 | |
| Wholesale trade sales, 2002 ($1000) | 1,136,056 | 10,371,084 | |
| Retail sales, 2002 ($1000) | 1,962,372 | 16,053,515 | |
| Retail sales per capita, 2002 | $16,539 | $12,370 | |
| Accommodation and foodservices sales, 2002 ($1000) | 151,669 | 2,045,841 | |
| Building permits, 2009 | 317 | 3,1211 | |
| Federal spending, 2008 | 1,553,700 | 11,974,3611 | |
| Geography QuickFacts | Kennebec County | Maine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land area, 2000 (square miles) | 867.58 | 30,861.55 | |
| Persons per square mile, 2000 | 134.9 | 41.3 | |
| FIPS Code | 011 | 23 | |
| Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Area: Augusta-Waterville, ME Micro Area |