
Plymouth 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 ...
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 so ...
of
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, south of
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
s are
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
and
Brockton.
In 1685, the county was created by the
Plymouth General Court, the legislature of
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...
, predating its annexation by the
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around Massachusetts Bay, one of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of M ...
.
Plymouth County is part of the
Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, 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 in Plymouth County extend north of Norfolk County and face onto
Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay is a bay on the Gulf of Maine that forms part of the central coastline of Massachusetts.
Description
The bay extends from Cape Ann on the north to Plymouth Harbor on the south, a distance of about . Its northern and sout ...
, 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
Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park is a combination national recreation area and state park situated among the islands of Boston Harbor. The park is made up of 34 islands and peninsulas and is managed by the Boston Harbor Islands Pa ...
(part)
*
Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge
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 of the county was 88.70%
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 ...
, 4.56%
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 ...
or
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 ...
, 0.21%
Native American, 0.92%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 3.06% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. 2.44%.
were
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. 28.0% were of
Irish, 12.8%
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, 10.6%
English and 5.1%
American ancestry
In the demography of the United States, some people 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 people. The ...
, 90.1% spoke
English, 2.5%
Spanish, 2.3%
Portuguese, 1.5%
French Creole and 1.0%
French 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 around 725,981. Its county seat is Dedham. The county was named after the English county of the same name. Two towns, Cohasset and B ...
, 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
racial makeup 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
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, 15.3% were
English, 7.3% were
German, and 3.7% were
American.
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
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 8.3% 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
Elected Officials
Plymouth County is governed by three County Commissioners:
Chairman Jared L. Valanzola (
R-
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
)
, Commissioner Sandra M. Wright (
R-
Bridgewater),
and Commissioner Gregory M. Hanley (
D-
Abington)
Other county elected officials include Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr. (
R-
Kingston), District Attorney Timothy Cruz (
R-
Marshfield), Treasurer Thomas J. O'Brien (
D-
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
), Register of Deeds John R. Buckley, Jr. (
D-
Scituate), Register of Probate Matthew McDonough (
D-
Marshfield), and Clerk of Courts Robert Creedon (
D-
Brockton)
Presidential election results
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), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...
,
Hubert Humphrey, and
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 ...
. Since 1992, however, it has become solidly Democratic, though less so relative to other counties in the state. In
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 ...
,
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
lost the county by 4.2 points, the closest a Republican had come to winning a county in Massachusetts since 1988. However, it has become more Democratic afterwards, and 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 ...
,
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 ...
carried the county by 17 points, the largest margin of victory for a Democrat since
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, only for
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
to carry it by only 9% four years later. At the state level, Plymouth County is more of a swing county and frequently splits its tickets in local and state elections.
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
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and
Providence 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 neighborhood in the town of
Marshfield.
The ''
Brockton Enterprise'' 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 town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore approximately to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 ...
* ''The Hingham Journal'' –
Hingham
* ''Marshfield Mariner'' - –
Marshfield
* ''
Old Colony Memorial'' –
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
*''Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express –''
Plympton
Plympton is a suburb of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England. It is in origin an ancient Stannary, 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 riv ...
,
Halifax, and
Kingston.
* ''Rockland Standard'' –
Rockland
* ''Scituate Mariner'' –
Scituate
* ''The Sentinel'' –
Marion and
Rochester
Many were operated by the
Memorial Press Group, based in Plymouth, until the chain was sold to
GateHouse Media
GateHouse Media Inc. was an American publisher of locally based print and digital media. It published 144 daily newspapers, 684 community publications, and over 569 local-market websites in 38 states. Its parent company, New Media Investment Group ...
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
*
Duxbury
Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore approximately to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 ...
*
East Bridgewater
*
Halifax
*
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
*
Hanson
*
Hingham
*
Hull
*
Kingston
*
Lakeville
*
Marion
*
Marshfield
*
Mattapoisett
*
Middleborough
*
Norwell
*
Pembroke
*
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
(traditional county seat) (note that Plymouth has surpassed the population of most cities in Massachusetts but continues to use a town-meeting form of government and is still recognized as a town.)
*
Plympton
Plympton is a suburb of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England. It is in origin an ancient Stannary, 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 riv ...
*
Rochester
*
Rockland
*
Scituate
*
Wareham
*
West Bridgewater
*
Whitman
Census-designated places
*
Bridgewater
*
Cedar Crest
*
Duxbury
Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore approximately to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 ...
*
Green Harbor
*
Hanson
*
Hingham
*
Kingston
*
Marion Center
*
Marshfield
*
Marshfield Hills
*
Mattapoisett Center
*
Middleborough Center
*
North Lakeville
*
North Pembroke
*
North Plymouth
*
North Scituate
*
Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock
*
Onset
*
The Pinehills
*
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
("Plymouth Center")
*
Scituate
*
South Duxbury
*
Wareham Center
*
West Wareham
*
Weweantic
*
White Island Shores
Other villages
*
Cedarville
*
Chiltonville
*
Ellisville
*
Elmwood
*
Greenbush
*
Manomet
*
Micajah Heights
*
Monponsett
*
Plymouth Beach
*
Priscilla Beach
*
Saquish
*
South Carver
*
South Middleborough
*
South Plymouth
*
South Pond
*
Vallerville
*
Wellingsley
*
West Plymouth
*
West Wind Shores
*
White Horse Beach
See also
*
List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
Massachusetts is the second wealthiest state in the United States of America, with a median household income of $101,341 (as of 2023), and a per capita income of $56,284 (as of 2023). Many of the state's wealthiest towns are located in the Boston ...
*
Registry of Deeds (Massachusetts)
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Footnotes
Further reading
* Dean Dudley
''Historical Sketches of Towns in Plymouth and Barnstable Counties, Massachusetts.''Boston: D. Dudley and Co., 1873.
* D. Hamilton Hurd, ''History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.'' In Two Volumes. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis and Co., 1884
Volume 1Volume 2''Biographical Review Volume 18, Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Plymouth County, Massachusetts.''Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1897.
External links
*
Plymouth County CommissionersUS Census Bureau mapof cities, towns, Native American reservations, and census-designated places
Plymouth Registry of DeedsPlymouth County Sheriff's Office* Wall & Gray. 187
Plymouth County map
{{coord, 41.99, -70.74, type:adm2nd_region:US-MA_source:UScensus1990, display=title
1685 establishments in Plymouth Colony
Counties of Plymouth Colony
Counties in Greater Boston
Massachusetts counties
Populated places established in 1685