Essex County, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Essex County, Massachusetts | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Massachusetts |
|
 Massachusetts's location in the USA |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1643 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Salem and Lawrence |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
829 sq mi (2,146 km²) 501 sq mi (1,297 km²) 328 sq mi (849 km²), 39.57% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
723,419 1,444/sq mi (558/km²) |
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2000, the population was 723,419. It has two county seats: Salem and Lawrence6.
Contents |
[edit] History
The county was created by the Massachusetts General Court on May 10, 1643, when it was ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires". Essex initially contained Salem, Lynn, Wenham, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Gloucester, and Andover.[1]
Essex County is famous as the area that Elbridge Gerry districted into a salamander-like shape in 1812 that gave rise to the word gerrymandering.
[edit] Law and government
Like an increasing number of Massachusetts counties, Essex County exists today only as a historical geographic region, and has no county government. All former county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1999. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council, commissioner, or county employees. Communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services. See also: League of Women Voters page on Massachusetts counties.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,146 km² (829 sq mi). 1,297 km² (501 sq mi) of it is land and 849 km² (328 sq mi) of it (39.57%) is water. Essex County is adjacent to Rockingham County, New Hampshire (north), the Atlantic Ocean (east), Suffolk County (south), and Middlesex County (west). All county land is incorporated.
Essex County includes the North Shore, Cape Ann, and much of the Merrimack Valley.
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Rockingham County, New Hampshire (north)
- Suffolk County (south)
- Middlesex County (west)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 723,419 people, 275,419 households, and 185,081 families residing in the county. The population density was 558/km² (1,445/sq mi). There were 287,144 housing units at an average density of 221/km² (574/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 86.44% White, 2.60% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.34% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.20% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. 11.04% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.4% were of Irish, 15.1% Italian, 9.9% English, 5.6% French and 5.0% French Canadian ancestry according to Census 2000. 80.8% spoke English, 10.2% Spanish, 1.4% French, 1.2% Italian and 1.0% Portuguese as their first language.
There were 275,419 households out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $51,576, and the median income for a family was $63,746. Males had a median income of $44,569 versus $32,369 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,358. About 6.60% of families and 8.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.90% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.
In 2006, Essex County received the dubious honor of being named number one on Forbes Magazine's list of most overpriced places to live in the U.S. The magazine cited high living costs and expensive real estate as the major reasons Essex County was picked over cities with higher mean real estate values (San Diego, New York, Honolulu.)
[edit] Cities, towns, and villages*
- Amesbury
- Andover
- Beverly
- Boxford
- Bradford
- Danvers
- Essex
- Georgetown
- Gloucester
- Groveland
- Hamilton
- Haverhill
- Ipswich
- Lawrence
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
- Marblehead
- Merrimac
- Methuen
- Middleton
- Nahant
- Newbury
- Newburyport
- North Andover
- Peabody
- Rockport
- Pigeon Cove (a village of Rockport)
- Rowley
- Salem
- Salisbury
- Saugus
- Swampscott
- Topsfield
- Wenham
- West Newbury
*Villages are census division, but have no separate corporate existence from the towns they are in.
[edit] Politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 40.5% 135,114 | 58.2% 194,068 |
| 2000 | 35.4% 110,010 | 57.5% 178,400 |
| 1996 | 30.6% 89,120 | 58.7% 171,021 |
| 1992 | 31.7% 102,212 | 43.6% 140,593 |
| 1988 | 48.6% 148,614 | 49.7% 151,816 |
| 1984 | 54.8% 162,152 | 44.8% 132,353 |
| 1980 | 43.8% 130,252 | 39.0% 116,173 |
| 1976 | 41.6% 125,538 | 55.0% 165,710 |
| 1972 | 46.5% 138,040 | 53.0% 157,324 |
| 1968 | 35.4% 99,721 | 61.0% 171,901 |
| 1964 | 25.3% 71,653 | 73.4% 210,135 |
| 1960 | 42.9% 126,599 | 56.9% 167,875 |
[edit] Education
Essex County is home to several libraries and schools, both public and private.
[edit] Libraries
- Merrimack Valley Library Consortium - Northern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries
- North of Boston Library Exchange - Southern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries
[edit] Secondary education
- Amesbury Public Schools
- Amesbury High School serves Amesbury and South Hampton
- Brooks School - North Andover
- GDA - Governor Dummer Academy - Newbury
- Pentucket Regional School District - Groveland, Merrimac, West Newbury.
- Triton Regional School District - Newbury, Rowley, Salisbury.
- Masconomet Regional School District
- Masconomet Regional High School serves Topsfield, Boxford and Middleton
- Phillips Andover Academy
- St. Johns Prep - Danvers
- Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School
[edit] Higher education
- Endicott College
- Gordon College (Massachusetts)
- Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
- Massachusetts School of Law
- Merrimack College
- Montserrat College of Art
- North Shore Community College
- Northern Essex Community College
- Salem State College
[edit] Essex National Heritage Area
On November 12, 1996, Essex National Heritage Area was authorized. The heritage area is Essex County, a 500-square mile area between the Atlantic Coast and the Merrimack Valley. It includes thousands of historic sites and districts that illuminate colonial settlement, the development of the shoe and textile industries, and the growth and decline of the maritime industries — including fishing, privateering, and the China trade.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Davis, William T. Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, p. 44. The Boston History Company, 1895.
- ^ The National Parks: Index 2001-2003, Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, p. 104.
[edit] External links
- Essex County Registry of Deeds -Salem Mass.
- Northern Essex Registry of Deeds - Lawrence Mass.
- Merrimack Valley Planning Commission.
- 1872 Map of Counties, Towns, and Rail Lines of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
- Peabody Essex Museum - Salem Mass.
- National Register of Historic Places listing for Essex Co., Massachusetts.
- Map of cities and towns of Massachusetts
- Essex National Heritage Area
