Oxford County is a county in the state of Maine, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the county had a population of 57,777. Its county seat is the town of Paris. The county was formed on March 4, 1805, by the Massachusetts General Court in the Maine District from northerly portions of York and Cumberland counties. It borders the Canadian province of Quebec.
Geography
thumb|left|Typical fall landscape in Oxford County, ME.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.5%) is water.
Adjacent counties and municipalities
- Franklin County – northeast
- Androscoggin County – east
- Cumberland County – southeast
- York County – south
- Carroll County, New Hampshire – southwest
- Coös County, New Hampshire – west
- Le Granit Regional County Municipality, Quebec – north
National protected areas
- Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- White Mountain National Forest (part)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 57,777. Of the residents, 19.3% were under the age of 18 and 22.8% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.9 males. 17.2% of residents lived in urban areas and 82.8% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 93.1% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.
!Pop 2010
!
!% 2000
!% 2010
!
|-
|White alone (NH)
|53,588
|55,584
|style='background: #ffffe6; |53,456
|97.86%
|96.11%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |92.52%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|86
|202
|style='background: #ffffe6; |209
|0.15%
|0.34%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.36%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|146
|203
|style='background: #ffffe6; |187
|0.26%
|0.35%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.32%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|196
|355
|style='background: #ffffe6; |275
|0.35%
|0.61%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.47%
|-
|Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|11
|14
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16
|0.02%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|22
|62
|style='background: #ffffe6; |157
|0.04%
|0.10%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.27%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|414
|826
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,612
|0.75%
|1.42%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.52%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|292
|587
|style='background: #ffffe6; |865
|0.53%
|1.01%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.49%
|-
|Total
|54,755
|57,833
|style='background: #ffffe6; |57,777
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
Ancestries
As of 2015, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Oxford County, Maine were:
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Largest ancestries (2015) !! Percent
|-
| English || 22.6%
|-
| French <BR> or French Canadian || 20.9%
|-
| Irish || 15.7%
|-
| "American" || 8.9%
|-
| German || 6.5%
|-
| Scottish || 5.6%
|-
| Italian || 4.9%
|-
| Polish || 1.9%
|}
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 57,833 people, 24,300 households, and 15,781 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 36,055 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% white, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.
Of the 24,300 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.1% were non-families, and 27.1% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 44.6 years.
2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 54,755 people, 22,314 households, and 15,173 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 32,295 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.25% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.6% were of English, 13.9% French, 13.7% United States or American, 10.1% Irish and 8.4% French Canadian ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.9% spoke English and 2.6% French as their first language.
Of the 22,314 households 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 25.60% of households were one person and 11.00% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.87.
The age distribution was 24.20% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.
The median household income was $33,435 and the median family income was $39,794. Males had a median income of $30,641 versus $21,233 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,945. About 8.30% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.80% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
From 1880 to 1988, Oxford County was dominated by the Republican Party in presidential elections, only failing to back a Republican candidate in 1912 (the county backed Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, who was a former Republican), 1964 (backing Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson, who won every county in Maine in a 46-state landslide), and 1968 (backing Democrat Hubert Humphrey, who had chosen Oxford County native Edmund Muskie as his running mate). The county flipped in 1992 to become consistently Democratic like the rest of Maine, staying that way through 2012. However, it made a 27.8 point swing (the largest statewide) to back Republican Donald Trump in 2016 as he won Maine's second congressional district containing the county. Trump retained the county in 2020 and again in 2024, each time at increasing margins.
Voter registration
{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024
|-
|
| Unenrolled
| align = center |
| align = center |
|-
|
| Republican
| align = center |
| align = center |
|-
|
| Democratic
| align = center |
| align = center |
|-
|
| Green Independent
| align = center |
| align = center |
|-
|
| Libertarian
| align = center |
| align = center |
|-
|
| No Labels
| align = center |
| align = center |
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center |
! align = center |
|}
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Recreation
Oxford County is home to many summer camps. Some of these camps are Camp Wekeela, Kamp Kohut, Camp Wyonegonic, Forest Acres Camp for Girls and Maine Teen Camp.
Communities
thumb|350px|right|Spruce Mountain Wind Farm is one of three wind farms in Oxford County, ME.
Towns
- Andover
- Bethel
- Brownfield
- Buckfield
- Byron
- Canton
- Denmark
- Dixfield
- Fryeburg
- Gilead
- Greenwood
- Hanover
- Hartford
- Hebron
- Hiram
- Lovell
- Mexico
- Newry
- Norway
- Otisfield
- Oxford
- Paris (county seat)
- Peru
- Porter
- Roxbury
- Rumford
- Stoneham
- Stow
- Sumner
- Sweden
- Upton
- Waterford
- West Paris
- Woodstock
Plantations
- Lincoln Plantation
- Magalloway (former)
Unorganized territories
- North Oxford
- South Oxford
- Milton
Census-designated places
- Bethel
- Dixfield
- Fryeburg
- Kezar Falls
- Mexico
- Norway
- Oxford
- Rumford
- South Paris
Other unincorporated communities
- Center Lovell
- Dickvale
- Magalloway
- North Waterford
- Waterford Flat
- West Bethel
Education
School districts include:
- Andover Public Schools
- Byron Public Schools
- Gilead School District
- Lincoln Plantation School District
- Upton School District
- Regional School Unit 10
- Regional School Unit 56
- Regional School Unit 78
- School Administrative District 17
- School Administrative District 44
- School Administrative District 55
- School Administrative District 72
There is also the Oxford Unorganized Territory. The Maine Department of Education takes responsibility for coordinating school assignments in the unorganized territory.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Oxford County, Maine