Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Plymouth County is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, south of Boston. As of the 2020 census, the population was 530,819. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton. In 1685, the county was created by the Plymouth General Court, the legislature of Plymouth Colony, predating its annexation by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 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 1,093 square miles (2,830 km2), of which 659 square miles (1,710 km2) is land and 434 square miles (1,120 km2) (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, 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 (part) Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge Major highways I-195 I-495 US 6 US 44 Route 3 Route 3A Route 14 Route 18 Route 24 Route 25 Route 27 Route 28 Route 36 Route 37 Route 53 Route 58 Route 79 Route 80 Route 104 Route 105 Route 106 Route 123 Route 139 Route 140 Route 228 Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 530,819. Of the residents, 21.0% were under the age of 18 and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.2 males. 87.5% of residents lived in urban areas and 12.5% lived in rural areas. The racial makeup of the county was 77.5% White, 8.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.8% from some other race, and 8.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.5% of the population. There were 197,288 households in the county, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 214,770 housing units, of which 8.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.4% were owner-occupied and 24.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. Racial and ethnic composition 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 750.9 inhabitants per square mile (289.9/km2). There were 200,161 housing units at an average density of 303.7 per square mile (117.3/km2). 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, 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, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. 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 716 inhabitants per square mile (276/km2). There were 181,524 housing units at an average density of 275 per square mile (106/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.70% White, 4.56% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.06% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. 2.44%. were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.0% were of Irish, 12.8% Italian, 10.6% English and 5.1% American ancestry, 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, 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, claims the highest percentage of people with Irish ancestry in the United States. 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), 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), 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, Hubert Humphrey, and Jimmy Carter. Since 1992, however, it has become solidly Democratic, though less so relative to other counties in the state. In 2012, Mitt Romney 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, Joe Biden carried the county by 17 points, the largest margin of victory for a Democrat since 1996, only for Kamala Harris 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 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 The Hingham Journal – Hingham Marshfield Mariner - – Marshfield Old Colony Memorial – Plymouth Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express – Plympton, 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 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 Census-designated places Other villages See also List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income 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 1 | Volume 2 Biographical Review Volume 18, Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1897. External links Geographic data related to Plymouth County, Massachusetts at OpenStreetMap Plymouth County Commissioners US Census Bureau map of cities, towns, Native American reservations, and census-designated places Plymouth Registry of Deeds Plymouth County Sheriff's Office Wall & Gray. 1871 Plymouth County map