Plymouth County is a

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

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: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, south of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 530,819. 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 ...

s are

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...

and Brockton. In 1685, the county was created by the Plymouth General Court, the legislature of

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the passengers on the ...

, predating its annexation by the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as th ...

. Plymouth County is part of the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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 (40%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Massachusetts by total area.

Adjacent counties

The towns of 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 ...

in Plymouth County extend north of Norfolk County and face onto Massachusetts Bay, sharing a northern water boundary with Suffolk County. * Norfolk County (north) * Barnstable County (southeast) * Bristol County (west)

National protected area

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 penins ...

(part) * Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge * Richy's House

Major highways

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

Demographics

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 472,972 people, 168,361 households, and 122,398 families in the county. The population density was . There were 181,524 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 88.70%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 4.56%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 3.06% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. 2.44%. were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 28.0% were of Irish, 12.8% Italian, 10.6%

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 ...

and 5.1%

American ancestry American ancestry refers to people in the United States who self-identify their ancestral origin or descent as "American," rather than the more common officially recognized racial and ethnic groups that make up the bulk of the American peo ...

, 90.1% spoke

, 2.5% Spanish, 2.3% Portuguese, 1.5% French Creole 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 168,361 households 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 22.20% of households were one person and 9.00% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.23. The age distribution was 26.80% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males. The median household income was $55,615 and the median family income was $65,554 (these figures had risen to $70,335 and $82,560 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,535 versus $31,389 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,789. About 4.90% of families and 6.60% 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 ...

, including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over. The leading ancestry group in Plymouth County is Irish, with 31%. Plymouth County, along with

Norfolk County, Massachusetts 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 bor ...

, claims the highest percentage of people with Irish ancestry in the United States.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 494,919 people, 181,126 households, and 127,925 families in the county. The population density was . There were 200,161 housing units at an average density of . The

of the county was 85.5% white, 7.2% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 3.2% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.7% were Irish, 15.8% were Italian, 15.3% were

, 7.3% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, and 3.7% were

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 ...

. Of the 181,126 households, 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 23.8% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age was 41.1 years. The median household income was $73,131 and the median family income was $86,251. Males had a median income of $60,303 versus $43,837 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,333. About 5.0% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the

, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.0% 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.

Government and politics

From the late 19th to the mid 20th centuries, Plymouth County was a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. From 1876 to 1988, only three Democrats carried the county:

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing ...

, and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

. Since 1992, however, it has become solidly Democratic, though less so relative to other counties in the state. In

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

lost the county by 4.2 points, the closest a Republican has come to winning a county in Massachusetts since 1988. However, it has become more Democratic over the years, and in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, Joe Biden carried the county by a 17 points, the largest margin of victory for a candidate since

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 Southeas ...

and the largest margin for a Democrat since 1964.

County seal

The seal was adopted by the Plymouth County Commissioners on March 31, 1931, under the authority of the General Laws, Chapter 34, Section 14, and was designed by Frederic T. Bailey of North Scituate who was, at that time and for many years, Chairman of the county commissioners.

Media

For television, the city is served by the

and

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

media markets; no television stations are located within the county. Radio stations located in Plymouth County include: The first radio broadcast in history was made in 1906, from the

Brant Rock Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock is a census-designated place (CDP) in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, composed of the neighborhoods of Ocean Bluff, Brant Rock, Fieldston, and Rexhame in the town of Marshfield. The population of the CD ...

neighborhood in the town of Marshfield. The ''

Brockton Enterprise ''The Enterprise'' is an afternoon daily newspaper published in Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population is 105,643 as of the 2020 United States Census. Along with Plymouth, i ...

'' is the only daily newspaper published in the county, although the '' Quincy Patriot Ledger'' has extensive coverage of the South Shore of Massachusetts generally and Plymouth County in particular. There are numerous weekly newspapers published in the county, including: * '' Abington Mariner'' – Abington * ''Duxbury Clipper'' –

Duxbury Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore approximately to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 at the 20 ...

* ''The Hingham Journal'' – Hingham * ''Marshfield Mariner'' - – Marshfield * '' Old Colony Memorial'' –

*''Plympton-Halifax Express –''

Plympton Plympton is a suburb of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England. It is in origin an ancient stannary town. It was an important trading centre for locally mined tin, and a seaport before the River Plym silted up and trade moved down river to P ...

and Halifax * ''Rockland Standard'' – Rockland * ''Scituate Mariner'' – Scituate * ''The Sentinel'' – Marion and

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Many were operated by the

Memorial Press Group Memorial Press Group, based in Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States, was a chain of weekly newspapers along the South Shore near Boston, Massachusetts. Long owned by '' The Patriot Ledger'' in nearby Quincy, MPG and its daily parent were sol ...

, based in Plymouth, until the chain was sold to GateHouse Media in 2006. The flagship of the group was the ''Old Colony Memorial'', the oldest continually published weekly newspaper in New England, first published in 1822.

Communities

Cities

* Bridgewater * Brockton (traditional county seat)

Towns

* Abington * Carver *

* East Bridgewater * Halifax *

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

Hanson Hanson or Hansson may refer to: People * Hanson (surname) * Hansson (surname) * Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English rock ...

* Hingham *

* Kingston *

Lakeville Lakeville may refer to: Canada *Wilmot Parish, New Brunswick#Lakeville, Lakeville, a local service district north of Woodstock, New Brunswick **Lakeville, Carleton County, New Brunswick, a community within the local service district *Lakeville, Wes ...

* Marion * Marshfield *

Mattapoisett Mattapoisett is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,508 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the village of Mattapoisett Center, please see the article Mattapoisett Center, ...

* Middleborough * Norwell * Pembroke *

(traditional county seat) *

* Rockland * Scituate * Wareham * West Bridgewater * Whitman

Census-designated places

* Bridgewater * Cedar Crest *

* Green Harbor *

* Hingham * Kingston * Marion Center * Marshfield * Marshfield Hills * Mattapoisett Center * Middleborough Center * North Lakeville * North Pembroke * North Plymouth * North Scituate * Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock *

Onset Onset may refer to: * Onset (audio), the beginning of a musical note or sound * Onset, Massachusetts, village in the United States **Onset Island (Massachusetts), a small island located at the western end of the Cape Cod Canal * Interonset interva ...

* The Pinehills *

("Plymouth Center") * Scituate * South Duxbury * Wareham Center * West Wareham * Weweantic * White Island Shores

Other villages

* Bryantville * Cedarville * Chiltonville * Ellisville * Elmwood * Greenbush * Manomet * Micajah Heights * Monponsett * North Middleborough * North Rochester * Plymouth Beach * Priscilla Beach * Saquish *

South Carver South Carver is a village in the town of Carver, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. South Carver is the location of the main entrance to the Myles Standish State Forest and of the Edaville Railroad and King Richard's Faire King Ri ...

* South Middleborough * South Plymouth * South Pond * Vallerville * Wellingsley * West Plymouth * West Wind Shores * White Horse Beach

Footnotes

External links

*
Plymouth County Commissioners

Map of cities and towns of Massachusetts

Plymouth Registry of Deeds

Plymouth County Retirement Association

Plymouth County Retirement Association

Plymouth County Sheriff's Office
* Wall & Gray. 187
''Atlas of Massachusetts''.Map of Massachusetts.USANew England
* Counties �
BerkshireFranklinHampshire and HampdenWorcesterMiddlesexEssex and NorfolkBoston – Suffolk

PlymouthBristolBarnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket (Cape Cod)
* Cities �
SpringfieldWorcesterLowellLawrenceHaverhillNewburyportSalemLynnTauntonFall RiverNew Bedford
These 1871 maps of the Counties and Cities are useful to see the roads and rail lines. * Beers,D.G. 1872 ''Atlas of Essex County'
Map of Massachusetts Plate 5
Click on the map for a very large image. {{coord, 41.99, -70.74, type:adm2nd_region:US-MA_source:UScensus1990, display=title 1685 establishments in Massachusetts Counties of Plymouth Colony Counties in Greater Boston Massachusetts counties Populated places established in 1685