Historical U.S. Census Totals for Kennebec County, Maine

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Kennebec County, Maine, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.

There are two types of incorporated municipalities in Maine, towns and cities. The tables below differentiate between towns and cities.

Most areas of New England are entirely divided into incorporated municipalities, with no unincorporated territory. In the three northern New England states, however, some unincorporated territory does exist, generally in areas that are very sparsely populated. Maine contains significantly more unincorporated territory than the other states, with the bulk of it in interior and northern counties. Some southern and coastal counties, including Kennebec County, also contain smaller amounts of unincorporated territory, however.

Some unincorporated territory in Maine is organized into a third type of town-level municipality unique to Maine, called a plantation (considered to be “organized”, but not incorporated), while some is entirely unorganized. Kennebec County does not currently contain any plantations, but it has included at least one plantation in the past. The unincorporated territory that currently exists within the county is unorganized. Separate sections with census totals for unincorporated areas follow the main tables below. For any census, adding up the totals for each town-level municipality, including any plantations or unorganized entities, should yield the county total. The unincorporated territory in Kennebec County consists of a tract of land ("Unity Township") which was originally a gore, later became an organized plantation, and is now unorganized territory. Except for Unity Township, all of Kennebec County is incorporated. (During the period when Unity Township was a plantation, Kennebec County was entirely organized, but it has never been entirely incorporated.)

For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.

Corporate changes since 1900

There have been no changes in Kennebec County's incorporated municipality roster since 1900 (but see the Plantations section below for information concerning the former Unity Plantation).

1900

County total: 59,117

*Augusta (city) 11,683
*Waterville (city) 9,477
*Gardiner (city) 5,501
*Chelsea 3,092
*Hallowell (city) 2,714
*Winslow 2,277
*Winthrop 2,088
*Vassalborough 2,062
*Oakland 1,913
*Clinton 1,398
*China 1,380
*Monmouth 1,236
*Pittston 1,177
*Benton 1,097
*Randolph 1,077
*Sidney 1,068
*Belgrade 1,058
*Litchfield 1,057
*Readfield 994
*Mount Vernon 906
*Albion 878
*Farmingdale 848
*Windsor 782
*Wayne 707
*West Gardiner 693
*Fayette 560
*Manchester 518
*Rome 420
*Vienna 406

Unincorporated territory reported 50 residents, all in Unity Plantation.

1910

County total: 62,863

*Augusta (city) 13,211
*Waterville (city) 11,458
*Gardiner (city) 5,311
*Chelsea 3,216
*Hallowell (city) 2,864
*Winslow 2,709
*Oakland 2,257
*Winthrop 2,114
*Vassalboro 2,077
*Monmouth 1,386
*China 1,297
*Clinton 1,268
*Benton 1,194
*Belgrade 1,037
*Randolph 1,017
*Readfield 996
*Litchfield 964
*Pittston 954
*Sidney 927
*Albion 922
*Mount Vernon 898
*Farmingdale 823
*Windsor 706
*West Gardiner 629
*Manchester 601
*Wayne 595
*Fayette 533
*Rome 440
*Vienna 403

Unincorporated territory reported 56 residents, all in Unity Plantation.

1920

County total: 63,844

*Augusta (city) 14,114
*Waterville (city) 13,351
*Gardiner (city) 5,475
*Winslow 3,280
*Hallowell (city) 2,764
*Oakland 2,473
*Chelsea 2,050
*Vassalboro 1,936
*Winthrop 1,902
*Monmouth 1,372
*China 1,257
*Clinton 1,230
*Randolph 1,145
*Benton 1,108
*Sidney 958
*Belgrade 957
*Readfield 911
*Albion 900
*Farmingdale 819
*Pittston 816
*Litchfield 815
*Mount Vernon 745
*Windsor 599
*West Gardiner 553
*Fayette 523
*Manchester 485
*Wayne 458
*Rome 436
*Vienna 366

Unincorporated territory reported 46 residents, all in Unity Plantation.

1930

County total: 70,691

*Augusta (city) 17,198
*Waterville (city) 15,454
*Gardiner (city) 5,609
*Winslow 3,917
*Hallowell (city) 2,675
*Oakland 2,664
*Winthrop 2,234
*Chelsea 2,210
*Vassalboro 1,815
*Randolph 1,377
*Clinton 1,354
*Monmouth 1,344
*China 1,163
*Benton 1,156
*Farmingdale 1,044
*Sidney 980
*Belgrade 978
*Albion 923
*Pittston 893
*Readfield 881
*Litchfield 773
*Mount Vernon 755
*West Gardiner 627
*Windsor 565
*Manchester 492
*Wayne 464
*Rome 398
*Fayette 396
*Vienna 318

Unincorporated territory reported 34 residents, all in Unity Plantation.

1940

County Total: 77,231

*Augusta (city) 19,360
*Waterville (city) 16,688
*Gardiner (city) 6,044
*Winslow 4,153
*Hallowell (city) 2,906
*Oakland 2,730
*Winthrop 2,508
*Chelsea 2,280
*Vassalboro 1,931
*Randolph 1,612
*Monmouth 1,500
*Clinton 1,436
*Benton 1,290
*China 1,252
*Farmingdale 1,197
*Pittston 1,114
*Belgrade 1,046
*Sidney 989
*Readfield 986
*Albion 974
*West Gardiner 867
*Litchfield 722
*Windsor 695
*Mount Vernon 653
*Manchester 626
*Wayne 463
*Fayette 438
*Rome 418
*Vienna 301

Unincorporated territory reported 52 residents, all in Unity Plantation.

1950

County Total: 83,881

*Augusta (city) 20,913
*Waterville (city) 18,287
*Gardiner (city) 6,649
*Winslow 4,413
*Hallowell (city) 3,404
*Winthrop 3,026
*Oakland 2,679
*Vassalboro 2,261
*Chelsea 2,169
*Randolph 1,733
*Monmouth 1,683
*Clinton 1,623
*Farmingdale 1,449
*Benton 1,421
*China 1,375
*Pittston 1,258
*Belgrade 1,099
*Readfield 1,022
*Albion 992
*Litchfield 953
*West Gardiner 946
*Sidney 918
*Windsor 740
*Manchester 664
*Mount Vernon 653
*Wayne 459
*Rome 420
*Fayette 397
*Vienna 231

Unincorporated territory reported 44 residents, all in unorganized territory (the former Unity Plantation).

1960

County total: 89,150

*Augusta (city) 21,680
*Waterville (city) 19,001
*Gardiner (city) 6,897
*Winslow 5,891
*Winthrop 3,537
*Hallowell (city) 3,169
*Oakland 3,075
*Vassalboro 2,446
*Farmingdale 1,941
*Chelsea 1,893
*Monmouth 1,884
*Clinton 1,729
*Randolph 1,724
*China 1,561
*Benton 1,521
*Pittston 1,311
*West Gardiner 1,144
*Belgrade 1,102
*Manchester 1,068
*Readfield 1,029
*Litchfield 1,011
*Sidney 988
*Albion 974
*Windsor 878
*Mount Vernon 596
*Wayne 498
*Rome 367
*Fayette 328
*Vienna 160

Unincorporated territory reported 53 residents, all in unorganized territory (the former Unity Plantation).

1970

County total: 95,306

*Augusta (city) 21,945
*Waterville (city) 18,192
*Winslow 7,299
*Gardiner (city) 6,685
*Winthrop 4,335
*Oakland 3,535
*Hallowell (city) 2,814
*Vassalboro 2,618
*Farmingdale 2,423
*Chelsea 2,154
*Monmouth 2,062
*Clinton 1,971
*China 1,850
*Randolph 1,741
*Benton 1,729
*Pittston 1,617
*West Gardiner 1,435
*Manchester 1,331
*Sidney 1,319
*Belgrade 1,302
*Readfield 1,258
*Litchfield 1,222
*Windsor 1,097
*Albion 1,056
*Mount Vernon 680
*Wayne 577
*Fayette 447
*Rome 362
*Vienna 205

Unincorporated territory reported 45 residents, all in unorganized territory (the former Unity Plantation).

1980

County total: 109,889

*Augusta (city) 21,819
*Waterville (city) 17,779
*Winslow 8,057
*Gardiner (city) 6,485
*Winthrop 5,889
*Oakland 5,162
*Vassalboro 3,410
*China 2,918
*Monmouth 2,888
*Clinton 2,696
*Farmingdale 2,535
*Chelsea 2,522
*Hallowell (city) 2,502
*Pittston 2,267
*Benton 2,188
*West Gardiner 2,113
*Sidney 2,052
*Belgrade 2,043
*Litchfield 1,954
*Manchester 1,949
*Readfield 1,943
*Randolph 1,834
*Windsor 1,702
*Albion 1,551
*Mount Vernon 1,021
*Fayette 812
*Wayne 680
*Rome 627
*Vienna 454

Unincorporated territory reported 37 residents, all in unorganized territory (the former Unity Plantation).

1990

County total: 115,904

*Augusta (city) 21,325
*Waterville (city) 17,173
*Winslow 7,997
*Gardiner (city) 6,746
*Winthrop 5,968
*Oakland 5,595
*China 3,713
*Vassalboro 3,679
*Monmouth 3,353
*Clinton 3,332
*Farmingdale 2,918
*Litchfield 2,650
*Sidney 2,593
*Hallowell (city) 2,534
*West Gardiner 2,531
*Chelsea 2,497
*Pittston 2,444
*Belgrade 2,375
*Benton 2,312
*Manchester 2,099
*Readfield 2,033
*Randolph 1,949
*Windsor 1,895
*Albion 1,736
*Mount Vernon 1,362
*Wayne 1,029
*Fayette 855
*Rome 758
*Vienna 417

Unincorporated territory reported 36 residents, all in unorganized territory (the former Unity Plantation).

2000

County total: 117,114

*Augusta (city) 18,560
*Waterville (city) 15,605
*Winslow 7,743
*Winthrop 6,232
*Gardiner (city) 6,198
*Oakland 5,959
*China 4,106
*Vassalboro 4,047
*Monmouth 3,785
*Sidney 3,514
*Clinton 3,340
*Litchfield 3,110
*Belgrade 2,978
*West Gardiner 2,902
*Farmingdale 2,804
*Chelsea 2,559
*Benton 2,557
*Pittston 2,548
*Hallowell (city) 2,467
*Manchester 2,465
*Readfield 2,360
*Windsor 2,204
*Albion 1,946
*Randolph 1,911
*Mount Vernon 1,524
*Wayne 1,112
*Fayette 1,040
*Rome 980
*Vienna 527

Unincorporated territory reported 31 residents, all in unorganized territory (the former Unity Plantation).

Plantations

As of 1900, Kennebec County included one plantation, Unity. Unity occupied a tract of land measuring about 10 square miles (26 km²) in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with Waldo County, which had originally been a gore. It was adjacent to, but a distinct entity from, the incorporated town of Unity, across the line in Waldo County (because plantations are organized at the county level, they are allowed to duplicate the names of incorporated towns). Unity Plantation was the only territory in the county that was not part of an incorporated town or city.

Unity surrendered its organization and reverted to unorganized territory in 1942. There have not been any plantations in Kennebec County since that time. Unity Plantation's population in the 1900 through 1940 Censuses was as follows:

1900: 50

1910: 56

1920: 46

1930: 34

1940: 52

Unorganized Territory

As of 1900, Kennebec County was entirely organized. It lost this status in 1942 when Unity Plantation surrendered its organziation and reverted to unorganized territory. The former Unity Plantation, a tract which was originally a gore, has remained the only unorganized territory in the county. At all times since 1942, this has been the only territory in the county that is not part of an incorporated town or city. It is sometimes referred to as "Unity Township". Its population in each census since 1950 is as follows:

1950: 44

1960: 53

1970: 45

1980: 37

1990: 36

2000: 31

Notes

1960 census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1960 census totals subsequent to their initial release. When it did so, however, it appears to have updated municipal totals only, not overall county totals or state totals, even though in most cases changing municipal totals should have caused county and state totals to change. The 1960 total for Kennebec County was originally reported as 89,150; and for the city of Waterville, 18,695. The total for Waterville was later revised to that shown in the list above (19,001). This should have caused the county total to change as well (to 89,456), but subsequent census publications have continued to list the county total as it was originally reported (89,150). As a result, in the list above, the municipal totals for 1960 do not add to the county total. The 1960 state total for Maine that appears in various Census materials (969,265) likewise reflects the original 1960 total for Kennebec County, and does not take into account the revision made to the population of Waterville. 1970 census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1970 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 1970 total for Kennebec County was originally reported as 95,247, and for the town of Chelsea, 2,095. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above.

ee also

*United States Census
*Kennebec County, Maine