Kennebec County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the South-central portion of the U.S. state of

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 ...

. At the 2020 census, the population was 123,642. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Augusta, the

state capital Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital city, capital cities. National capitals *List of national capitals *List of national capitals by latitude *List of national capitals by population *List of national capitals by area *List of ...

. The county was established on February 20, 1799, from portions of Cumberland and Lincoln Counties. The name Kennebec comes from the Eastern Abenaki ''/kínipekʷ/'', meaning "large body of still water, large bay." Kennebec County comprises the ''Augusta– Waterville, ME Micropolitan Statistical Area''. In 2010, the

center of population In Demography, demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to dif ...

of Maine was in Kennebec County, in the city of Augusta.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (8.8%) is water. The county is nearly bisected by the

Kennebec River The Kennebec River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Kinəpékʷihtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 natural river within the U.S. state of Ma ...

, which also forms parts of the county line in the north and south of the county. The county is also dotted by many lakes and ponds, as well as the Kennebec Highlands in the northwest part of the county.

Adjacent counties

* Somerset County – north * Waldo County – east * Sagadahoc County – south * Lincoln County – south * Androscoggin County – southwest * Franklin County – northwest

Major highways

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

Demographics

2000 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 2000, there were 117,114 people, 47,683 households, and 31,327 families living in the county. 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 56,364 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.45%

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 ...

, 0.34%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.40% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.02%

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, 0.18% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were

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or Latino of any race. 20.6% were of English, 17.4% French, 13.4%

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, 10.9%

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or American and 9.9% Irish ancestry. 92.5% spoke only English at home, while 5.48% spoke French. There were 47,683 households, out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.60% 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, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.89. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.80% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,498, and the median income for a family was $43,814. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $24,032 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 county was $18,520. About 8.50% of families and 11.10% 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 13.20% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 122,151 people, 51,128 households, and 32,368 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 60,972 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was % from other races, and % from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up % of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.2% were English, 17.0% were Irish, 8.3% were German, 7.7% were

, 5.7% were American, and 5.4% were Scottish. The median income for a household in the county was $45,973 and the median income for a family was $56,853. Males had a median income of $42,176 versus $32,471 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,656. About 7.8% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the

, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Micropolitan statistical area

Kennebec County has been designated as the Augusta–Waterville, ME Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA) by the

United States Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

. As of the 2010 U.S. Census the micropolitan area ranked the most populous in the State of Maine and also the only micropolitan area within the state. The area also ranks 14th most populous in the United States with a population of 125,540 as of July 2022.

Economy

Kennebec County's economy has traditionally been industrial. A large amount of paper and textiles were produced, and mills sprung up along the Kennebec river. The median household income is $36,498. The unemployment rate is 4.2%.

Education

There are three colleges: Colby College and Thomas College (both in Waterville), and the University of Maine at Augusta. There are 19 school districts (however, 4 are consolidated ones). In China Maine, there is no public high school, but a private school ( Erskine Academy) exists, and the town pays for students tuition if they choose to attend. Students from Vassalboro can pick from one of four school districts (Cony in Augusta, Erskine, Winslow, or Waterville). However, many towns have local public high schools. K-12 school districts include: * Augusta School District * Fayette School District * Vassalboro School District * Waterville School District * Winslow School District * Winthrop School District * Regional School Unit 02 * Regional School Unit 04 * Regional School Unit 18 * Regional School Unit 12 * Regional School Unit 38 * School Administrative District 09 * School Administrative District 11 * School Administrative District 49 * Kennebec Unorganized Territory

Politics

Kennebec County has consistently voted for Democrats in recent elections, until

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

when it voted for Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, the first time it had voted Republican since 1988. While the more rural areas support the Republican Party, the urban areas are strongly Democratic. Kennebec County is the only county in Maine that is split between Maine's two congressional districts. The larger, southern portion of the county is in the 1st Congressional District, while the northern, smaller portion is in the 2nd Congressional District. Historically, the county was more Democratic-leaning than the rest of the state in presidential elections. The county voted for Democrat

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

even as Republican Wendell Willkie carried Maine, and it voted for Democrat

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

as Republican

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

won the state. In more recent elections, the county voted in-line with the state, voting for the statewide winner in every election from

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

. In

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, it was the closest county in the state, with Democrat

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

defeating Trump by just 181 votes. Kennebec swung back into the Republican column in 2024, with Trump carrying the county this time with a full majority.

Voter registration

Communities

Cities

* Augusta (county seat) * Gardiner * Hallowell * Waterville

Towns

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* Benton * Chelsea *

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* Clinton * Farmingdale * Fayette * Litchfield *

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* Monmouth *

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* Oakland *

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* Randolph * Readfield *

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* Sidney * Vassalboro *

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* Wayne * West Gardiner * Windsor * Winslow * Winthrop