Blaine is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Aroostook County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. The population was 667 at the 2020 census. It was known as Alva prior to incorporation in 1874, when it was renamed in honor of James G. Blaine, then Speaker of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

. According to the Blaine 1974 Centennial Celebration Pamphlet, the town's namesake donated a schoolhouse bell in return for the town changing its name. The bell, cast in 1875 by William Blake & Co., now resides in the former Blaine Grange Hall and is under the care of the Central Aroostook Historical Society.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 726 people, 299 households, and 217 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 360 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.7%

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

, 1.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population. There were 299 households, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.4% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the town was 43.9 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 30.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 806 people, 313 households, and 234 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 340 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.27%

, 0.37%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.99% Native American, 0.12% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population. There were 313 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were

living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,693, and the median income for a family was $33,056. Males had a median income of $25,333 versus $20,078 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $12,980. About 7.5% of families and 10.4% 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 7.9% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Blaine, Maine mainly went for

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

in the 2008 USA presidential election and in 2009, the town's voters backed a referendum against same-sex marriage.Bangor Daily News

Notable person

* Ben Bubar, temperance activist and

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movemen ...

member

References

{{authority control Towns in Aroostook County, Maine Towns in Maine