Dukes County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,600, making it the second-least populous county in Massachusetts. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Edgartown. Dukes County comprises the

Vineyard Haven Vineyard Haven is a community within the town of Tisbury, Massachusetts on the island of Martha's Vineyard. It is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 2,114 as of the 2010 census. The area was ...

, MA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county consists of the island of

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...

(including

Chappaquiddick Island Chappaquiddick Island (Massachusett language: ''tchepi-aquidenet''; colloquially known as "Chappy"), a part of the town of Edgartown, Massachusetts, is a small peninsula and occasional island on the eastern end of Martha's Vineyard. Norton Poi ...

), the

Elizabeth Islands The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States. They are located at the outer edge of Buzzards Bay, north of Martha's Vineyard, from which they are ...

(including

Cuttyhunk Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. A small outpost for the harvesting of sassafras was occupied for a few weeks in 1602, arguably making it the first English settlement in New England. Cuttyhunk is loc ...

), the island of

Nomans Land Nomans Land (Wampanoag: ;; also mapped "No Man's Land," "No Mans Land," or "No Man's island"), is an uninhabited island 612 acres (248 ha) in size, located in the town of Chilmark, Dukes County, Massachusetts. It is situated about ...

, and other associated islets.

History

Early seal of Dukes County, Massachusetts

The original inhabitants of the islands were

Wampanoag The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. 17 ...

, who had several villages. Political jurisdiction over the lands were granted by the English monarchy in overlapping claims to two different British nobles, from which Massachusetts Bay Company settler

Thomas Mayhew Governor Thomas Mayhew, the Elder (March 31, 1593 – March 25, 1682) established the first European settlement on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and adjacent islands in 1642. He is one of the editors of the Bay Psalm Book, the first book published ...

purchased them in 1641. Mayhew established a colony in his new domain, carefully purchasing land ownership rights from the native inhabitants, and maintaining native governments to continue unimpeded. In 1665, Mayhew's lands were included in a grant to James, Duke of York (later King James II). In 1671, a settlement was arranged, allowing Mayhew to continue to rule while placing his territory under the jurisdiction of the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...

. Dukes County was thus established as

Dukes County, New York Dukes County was a county of the Province of New York from 1683 to 1691. It was established on November 1, 1683, at the same time as Kings County, Queens County, and Dutchess County. It consisted of the Elizabeth Islands, Martha's Vineyard, a ...

, on November 1, 1683, and included all of Mayhew's lands – Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands. The county was transferred to Massachusetts on October 7, 1691, and at the same time Nantucket Island was split into the separate

Nantucket County, Massachusetts Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

. The 1695 incorporation statute created a county "by the name of Dukes County," as opposed to the standard form "the county of Dukes" which is the reason for the redundancy in the formal name, "County of Dukes County".

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (79%) is water. It is the third-smallest county by land area in Massachusetts.

Nearby counties

Barnstable County, Massachusetts Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. Its shire town is Barnstable. The county consists of Cape Cod and associated islands (some adjacent islands are in Duke ...

– northeast *

Plymouth County, Massachusetts Plymouth County is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, south of Boston. As of the 2020 census, the population was 530,819. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton. In 1685, the county was created by the Plymouth General Court, t ...

– north * Bristol County, Massachusetts – northwest *

– east

National protected area

Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge The Nomans Land Island Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located on Nomans Land, a island off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. It is part of the town of Chilmark, in Dukes County. The Island is long ea ...

Demographics

2020 Census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 16,535 people, 7,368 households, and 4,221 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 17,188 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 87.6% white, 3.1% black or African American, 1.1% American Indian, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.9% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: * 18.5% Irish * 17.1% English * 11.7% Portuguese * 10.0% American * 9.2% German * 7.6% Italian * 5.5% French * 2.9% West Indian * 2.9% Scottish * 2.5% Dutch * 2.3% Scotch-Irish * 2.1% Swedish * 2.1% Polish * 1.9% French Canadian * 1.4% Russian * 1.1% Arab * 1.0% Sub-Saharan African Of the 7,368 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 42.7% were non-families, and 33.4% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 45.3 years. The median household income was $62,407 and the median family income was $77,231. Males had a median income of $43,850 versus $41,994 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,390. About 5.5% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 14,987 people, 6,421 households, and 3,788 families living in the county. The population density was 144 people per square mile (56/km²). There were 14,836 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile (55/km²). The

of the county was 90.69% White, 2.40% Black or African American, 1.71% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 20.4% were of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, 13.3%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 8.6%

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

, 6.4%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and 5.7%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

ancestry, 93.1% spoke

, 3.7%

and 1.7%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

as their first language and 0.285% speak

at home. Of the 6,421 households 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.40% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.00% were non-families. 32.00% of households were one person and 11.10% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.91. The age distribution was 22.70% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 27.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males. The median household income was $45,559 and the median family income was $55,018. Males had a median income of $38,945 versus $30,346 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,472. About 5.00% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the

, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over.

Real Estate

As of the fourth quarter 2021, the median value of homes in Dukes County was $883,820, an increase of 22.3% from the prior year.

Demographic breakdown by town

Income

The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list are reflective if the census designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Political affiliation

Religion

Politics

Like the state of

, Dukes County heavily supports the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. The last Republican Party candidate to receive over 40% of the county’s vote was

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

in 1984, and the last Republican to win the county was Richard Nixon in 1972. Before 1964, however, the county was a stronghold of the Republicans, supporting Dwight D Eisenhower in 1956 by an especially large margin well over 50%, and was one of the few counties where

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

finished ahead of Woodrow Wilson in 1912. ''(See table)''.

Communities

Towns

* Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head) * Chilmark * Edgartown (shire town or county seat) * Gosnold *

Oak Bluffs Oak Bluffs is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,341 at the 2020 United States Census. It is one of the island's principal points of arrival for summer tourists ...

* Tisbury * West Tisbury