Norfolk County is located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 725,981. Its county seat is Dedham. It is the fourth most populous county in the United States whose county seat is neither a city nor a borough, and it is the second most populous county that has a county seat at a town. The county was named after the English county of the same name. Two towns, Cohasset and

Brookline Brookline may refer to: Places in the United States * Brookline, Massachusetts, a town near Boston * Brookline, Missouri * Brookline, New Hampshire * Brookline (Pittsburgh), a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Brookline, Vermont See ...

, are exclaves. Norfolk County is included in the Boston- Cambridge-

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

, MA- NH Metropolitan Statistical Area. Norfolk County is the 24th highest-income county in the United States with a median household income of $107,361. It is the wealthiest county in Massachusetts. List of highest-income counties in the United States

History

Norfolk County, Massachusetts was created on March 26, 1793, by legislation signed by Governor John Hancock. Most of the towns were originally part of

Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston, Chel ...

. The towns of Dorchester and

Roxbury Roxbury may refer to: Places ;Canada * Roxbury, Nova Scotia * Roxbury, Prince Edward Island ;United States * Roxbury, Connecticut * Roxbury, Kansas * Roxbury, Maine * Roxbury, Boston, a municipality that was later integrated into the city of Bosto ...

were part of Norfolk County when it was created but, as Boston annexed each town, they became part of Suffolk County again. Hingham and

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

were originally part of the Norfolk County legislation but petitioned to remain in Suffolk county and in June 1793 their removal to Norfolk county was repealed. In 1803, they were moved into Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Norfolk County is the birthplace of four Presidents of the United States ( John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, and

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

), resulting in the moniker "County of Presidents."

Sheriffs

There have been 21 sheriffs of Norfolk County.

Treasurers

Registers of Deeds

The Registry was originally housed in one of the first floor rooms of the home of Eliphalet Pond, the first registrar, at 963 Washington Street in Dedham. A sign was nailed to a tree out front informing the public of its location. It then moved to the original

Norfolk County Courthouse The Norfolk County Courthouse, also known as the William D. Delahunt courthouse, is a National Historic Landmark at 650 High Street in Dedham, Massachusetts. It currently houses the Norfolk County Superior Court. It is significant as a well-p ...

and remained there for about three decades. When the new

was built in 1827, the middle office on the west side of the lower level was used by the Registry. When the population of the county grew and the number of real estate transactions increased apace, a new building was constructed for the Registry across the street at 649 High Street. The Boston firm Peabody & Stearns was hired to design the current Registry of Deeds, built in 1905. The main section of the building measures 52 feet by 186 feet, is two stories high with a copper hipped roof, and is built of Indiana limestone with details made of granite from Deer Isle, Maine.

Other

In the mid-1800s, Jonathan H. Cobb was the clerk of courts.

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 (11%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Massachusetts by total area. The county is not completely contiguous; the towns of

and Cohasset are each part of Norfolk County but are separated from the majority of Norfolk County (and each other) by either water or other counties. At the county's formation, Hingham and

were to be part of it, but joined Plymouth County instead, leaving Cohasset as the initial

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of Norfolk County and an

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of Plymouth County. Brookline became the second exclave of Norfolk County in 1873 when the neighboring town of

West Roxbury West Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts bordered by Roslindale and Jamaica Plain to the northeast, the town of Brookline to the north, the cities and towns of Newton and Needham to the northwest and the town of Dedham to the ...

was annexed by Boston (thus leaving Norfolk County to join Suffolk County) and Brookline refused to be annexed by Boston after the Brookline-Boston annexation debate of 1873.

Adjacent counties

* Middlesex County (northwest) * Suffolk County (north) * Plymouth County (southeast) *

Bristol County Bristol County may refer to: Places * Bristol County, Massachusetts Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the no ...

(south) * Providence County, Rhode Island (southwest) * Worcester County (west)

National protected areas

* Adams National Historical Park *

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is a national recreation area situated among the islands of Boston Harbor of Boston, Massachusetts. The area is made up of a collection of islands, together with a former island and a peninsula, ...

(part) * Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site *

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site The John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site is the birthplace and childhood home of John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. The house is at 83 Beals Street in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline, Massachusetts. ...

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Demographics

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 650,308 people, 248,827 households, and 165,967 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 255,154 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 89.02% White or

European American European Americans (also referred to as Euro-Americans) are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes people who are descended from the first European settlers in the United States as well as people who are descended from more recent Eu ...

, 3.18% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 5.50%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 1.84%. were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 28.6% were of Irish, 13.4% Italian, 7.7% English and 5.0% descendants of colonists ancestry according to Census 2000. 85.7% spoke English, 2.3%

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

in any dialect, 2.0% Spanish, 1.0% Italian and 1.0%

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

as their first language. Of the 248,827 households 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 26.80% of households were one person and 10.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.14. The age distribution was 23.40% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males. The median household income was $63,432 and the median family income was $77,847 (these figures had risen to $77,294 and $95,243 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $51,301 versus $37,108 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,484. About 2.90% of families and 4.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.40% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 670,850 people, 257,914 households, and 168,903 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 270,359 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 82.3% white, 8.6% Asian, 5.7% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: * 31.8% Irish * 15.5% Italian * 11.0% English * 7.0% German * 4.6% French * 4.3% Chinese * 4.1% Polish * 3.2% Russian * 3.1% American * 2.8% Scottish * 2.6% French Canadian * 2.4% Scotch-Irish * 2.0% West Indian * 2.0% Sub-Saharan African * 1.9% Portuguese * 1.8% Swedish * 1.6% Indian * 1.4% Arab * 1.4% Greek * 1.2% Canadian * 1.1% Vietnamese * 1.1% Lithuanian Of the 257,914 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.5% were non-families, and 27.6% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 40.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $81,027 and the median family income was $101,870. Males had a median income of $68,070 versus $51,870 for females. The per capita income for the county was $42,371. About 4.1% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

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.

Religion

*congregations **adherents

Government

The county has offices in Dedham Square. It runs the Norfolk County Correctional Center, the

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds Norfolk County is located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 725,981. Its county seat is Dedham, Massachusetts, Dedham. It is the fourth most populous county in the United State ...

, and the

Current elected officials

All eligible voters of Norfolk County vote for three

County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

, a

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

, a

Clerk of Courts A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...

, a

Register of Deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...

, a

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, a County Treasurer, and a Register of Probate. County Commissioners are elected for a four-year term; two Commissioners are elected to coincide with presidential elections, and one Commissioner is elected during the midterm elections. All three Commissioners must hail from a different municipality. The District Attorney is elected every four years coinciding with the midterm elections. The Clerk of Courts and Register of Deeds are elected every six years coinciding with the elections of Class I US Senators. The County Treasurer and Register of Probate are elected every six years coinciding with the elections of Class II US Senators. The Sheriff is elected every six years coinciding with the elections of Class III US Senators.

Politics

Like the rest of Massachusetts, Norfolk County is a Democratic stronghold. The last time it voted for a Republican presidential candidate was in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

, during

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 ...

's landslide victory in which he carried every state except Minnesota and the district of Washington, D.C.

Communities

Cities

* Braintree *

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

* Quincy *

Randolph Randolph may refer to: Places In the United States * Randolph, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Randolph, Arizona, a populated place * Randolph, California, a village merged into the city of Brea * Randolph, Illinois, an unincorporated commun ...

* Weymouth

Towns

* Avon * Bellingham *

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

* Cohasset * Dedham (traditional county seat) *

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

Foxborough Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about southwest of Boston, northeast of Providence, Rhode Island and about northwest of Cape Cod. Foxborough is part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 18,618 a ...

* Holbrook * Medfield *

Medway Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...

* Millis *

Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...

* Needham * Norfolk * Norwood * Plainville *

Sharon Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...

* Stoughton * Walpole * Wellesley * Westwood * Wrentham Note:

(annexed to Boston 1874),

(annexed to Boston 1868), Dorchester (founded 1630, annexed to Boston 1870),

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

(incorporated 1868 from Dorchester, Milton, and Dedham, annexed to Boston 1912), and Hingham and

were originally part of Norfolk County when the county was incorporated in 1793. As of August 2012, Hingham's Precinct 2 will be part of the Fourth Norfolk District.

Census-designated places

* Bellingham *

* Medfield * Millis-Clicquot *

* Walpole

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> K-12: * Avon School District * Bellingham School District *

Braintree School District Braintree may refer to: Places * Braintree, Essex, a town in England ** Braintree District ** Braintree (UK Parliament constituency) ** Braintree Town F.C., a football club in the town * Braintree, Massachusetts, a city in Norfolk County, Massac ...

Brookline School District Public Schools of Brookline (PSB) is the school district of Brookline, Massachusetts. it had over 7,500 students. They operate eight elementary (K-8) schools and one high school in the Town of Brookline. Schools ; Senior high school: * Brookli ...

Canton School District Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

* Cohasset School District * Dedham School District * Foxborough School District *

Franklin School District Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral di ...

Holbrook School District Holbrook may refer to: Places England * Holbrook, Derbyshire, a village *Holbrook, Somerset, a hamlet in Charlton Musgrove *Holbrook, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, a former mining village in Mosborough ward, now known as Halfway *Holbrook, Suffolk, ...

Medfield School District Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,799 according to the 2020 United States Census. It is a community about southwest of Boston, Massachusetts, which is a 40- ...

Medway School District Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...

Millis School District Millis may refer to: * Millis (surname) * Millis, Massachusetts, a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States ** Millis (MBTA station), a former train station in that town *** Millis Branch, a rail line formerly ending at that station * ...

Milton School District Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free ...

Needham School District Needham may refer to: Places United States * Needham, Alabama * Needham, Indiana * Needham, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston ** Needham Line, a commuter rail line in Greater Boston * Needham (Farmville, Virginia), a historic house United Kingdom ...

Norwood School District The Norwood Public School District is a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Norwood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, co ...

Quincy School District Quincy Public Schools (QPS) is a school district that manages schools in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. The superintendent is Kevin W. Mulvey, It serves a population of approximately 94,470 of whom approx. 11% are school age. History The Quincy ...

* Randolph School District *

Sharon School District Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In ...

Stoughton School District Stoughton may refer to: Places in the United States of America: * Stoughton, Massachusetts **Stoughton (MBTA station) * Stoughton, Wisconsin *Stoughton Hall, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts In England: *Stoughton, Leicestershire *Stoughton, ...

* Walpole School District * Wellesley School District * Westwood School District * Weymouth School District Secondary: *

Dover-Sherborn School District Dover-Sherborn High School, or DSHS, is a regional public high school in the town of Dover, Massachusetts, United States. It serves students from the towns of Dover and Sherborn, and is the senior school of the Dover-Sherborn Public School Dist ...

* King Philip School District Elementary: * Dover School District * Norfolk School District *

Plainville School District Plainville is the name of numerous places in the United States of America: *Plainville, Connecticut *Plainville, Georgia *Plainville, Illinois *Plainville, Indiana *Plainville, Kansas *Plainville, Massachusetts * Plainville, New Jersey *Plainville, ...

Wrentham School District Wrentham may refer to: ;Places: * Wrentham, Alberta, Canada *Wrentham, Suffolk, England *Wrentham, Massachusetts Wrentham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,178 at the 2020 census. History In ...

Notes

References

Works cited

Bibliography

History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts
With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, by Duane Hamilton Hurd. Published by J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884. 1001 pages.
History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1622-1918
by Louis Atwood Cook. Published by The S.J. Clarke publishing company, 1918. Volume 1.

External links

* *
Norfolk County official site

Map of cities and towns of Massachusetts
{{coord, 42.17, -71.19, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MA_source:UScensus1990 Massachusetts counties Counties in Greater Boston 1793 establishments in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1793