Norfolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 670,850.[1] Its county seat is Dedham. It is the 28th highest-income county in the United States with a median household income of $81,899. It is the wealthiest county in Massachusetts. The county was named after the English county of the same name with the meaning "northern folk".[2] Two towns, Cohasset and Brookline, are exclaves.

History

Norfolk County, Massachusetts was created on March 26, 1793 by legislation signed by Gov. John Hancock. Most of the towns were originally part of Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The towns of Dorchester and Roxbury were part of Norfolk County when it was created but, as Boston annexed each town, they became part of Suffolk County again. Hingham and Hull were originally part of the Norfolk County legislation but petitioned to remain in Suffolk county and in June 1793 their removal to Norfolk county was repealed. Later, in 1803, they were moved into Plymouth County, Massachusetts. The county is the birthplace of four Presidents of the United States (John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, and George H.W. Bush), resulting in the moniker "County of Presidents."[3]

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 443.94 square miles (1,149.8 km2), of which 399.58 square miles (1,034.9 km2) (or 90.01%) is land and 44.35 square miles (114.9 km2) (or 9.99%) is water. The county is not completely contiguous; the towns of Brookline and Cohasset are each part of Norfolk County but are separated from the majority of Norfolk County (and each other) by either water or other counties. At the county's formation, Hingham and Hull were to be part of it, but joined Plymouth County instead, leaving Cohasset as an exclave of Norfolk County and an enclave of Plymouth County. Brookline became an exclave of Norfolk County in 1873 when the neighboring town of West Roxbury was annexed by Boston (thus leaving Norfolk County to join Suffolk County) and Brookline refused to be annexed by Boston after the Brookline-Boston annexation debate of 1873.

Adjacent counties

 Middlesex County Suffolk County Massachusetts Bay
Worcester County
  Norfolk County, Massachusetts  
Providence County, Rhode Island Bristol County Plymouth County

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1800 27,216
—
1810 31,245 14.8%
1820 36,471 16.7%
1830 41,972 15.1%
1840 53,140 26.6%
1850 78,892 48.5%
1860 109,950 39.4%
1870 89,443 −18.7%
1880 96,507 7.9%
1890 118,950 23.3%
1900 151,539 27.4%
1910 187,506 23.7%
1920 219,081 16.8%
1930 299,426 36.7%
1940 325,180 8.6%
1950 392,308 20.6%
1960 510,256 30.1%
1970 605,051 18.6%
1980 606,587 0.3%
1990 616,087 1.6%
2000 650,308 5.6%
2010 670,850 3.2%
Est. 2012 681,845 1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]
2012 Estimate[5]
Presidential election results[6]
Year Democrat Republican
2012 57.4% 200,891 41.3% 144,654
2008 58.2% 200,675 39.7% 136,841
2004 60.2% 199,392 38.6% 127,763
2000 59.4% 188,450 33.8% 107,033
Norfolk County Administration Offices (including the County Commissioners and the County Treasurer) in Dedham.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 650,308 people, 248,827 households, and 165,967 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,628 people per square mile (628/km²). There were 255,154 housing units at an average density of 639 per square mile (247/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.02% White or European American, 3.18% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 5.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.6% were of Irish, 13.4% Italian, 7.7% English and 5.0% descendants of colonists ancestry according to Census 2000. 85.7% spoke English, 2.3% Chinese in any dialect, 2.0% Spanish, 1.0% Italian and 1.0% French as their first language.

There were 248,827 households out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $63,432, and the median income for a family was $77,847 (these figures had risen to $77,294 and $95,243 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[8]). Males had a median income of $51,301 versus $37,108 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,484. About 2.90% of families and 4.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.40% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.

Demographic breakdown by town

Income

See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita 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.[9][10][11]

Rank Town Per capita
income		 Median
household
income		 Median
family
income		 Population Number of
households
Dover CDP $91,039 $183,125 $212,125 2,322 725
1 Dover Town $82,800 $184,646 $200,735 5,564 1,765
2 Wellesley Town $65,394 $145,208 $175,156 27,818 8,553
3 Brookline Town $63,964 $97,250 $142,180 58,371 24,891
4 Needham Town $60,972 $121,080 $160,455 28,786 10,350
5 Cohasset Town $59,891 $117,831 $147,222 7,483 2,706
6 Westwood Town $59,422 $120,078 $151,976 14,508 5,172
7 Medfield Town $56,905 $128,446 $139,247 12,004 4,011
Chestnut Hill (02467) ZCTA $55,947 $114,140 $151,375 21,952 6,237
8 Sharon Town $53,687 $121,265 $142,463 17,538 6,268
Medfield CDP $47,660 $107,386 $127,632 6,394 2,357
9 Wrentham Town $47,119 $100,938 $119,188 10,879 3,978
Sharon CDP $46,079 $102,521 $124,405 5,532 2,007
10 Canton Town $45,991 $90,951 $111,770 21,408 8,460
11 Milton Town $44,718 $104,713 $129,234 26,828 8,956
12 Medway Town $44,472 $106,058 $119,864 12,670 4,433
13 Walpole Town $43,983 $90,763 $109,035 23,862 8,626
Norfolk County County $43,685 $83,733 $106,309 666,426 255,944
14 Norfolk Town $42,452 $118,809 $132,250 11,151 3,125
15 Foxborough Town $42,236 $92,370 $108,209 16,734 6,470
Walpole CDP $41,820 $89,327 $99,808 6,119 2,522
16 Dedham Town $41,143 $83,364 $105,586 24,521 9,528
Millis-Clicquot CDP $39,884 $82,798 $103,750 4,370 1,831
17 Millis Town $39,344 $90,360 $99,976 7,852 3,043
18 Franklin City $39,043 $92,066 $109,602 31,317 10,866
19 Braintree City $37,317 $83,710 $97,262 35,409 13,267
20 Plainville Town $36,802 $81,371 $102,780 8,176 3,232
Foxborough CDP $36,239 $61,771 $91,991 5,206 2,388
21 Norwood Town $35,997 $73,838 $95,397 28,483 11,559
22 Weymouth City $35,939 $68,594 $86,972 53,565 22,543
Massachusetts State $35,051 $65,981 $83,371 6,512,227 2,522,409
Bellingham CDP $33,927 $81,941 $87,606 4,580 1,833
23 Bellingham Town $33,170 $83,534 $93,655 16,165 5,879
24 Quincy City $32,911 $60,947 $77,231 91,484 39,965
25 Stoughton Town $32,363 $68,191 $87,070 26,893 10,455
26 Avon Town $31,304 $72,880 $89,214 4,341 1,609
27 Holbrook Town $29,940 $63,790 $76,568 10,749 4,193
28 Randolph City $29,210 $64,465 $77,661 31,867 12,041
United States Country $27,915 $52,762 $64,293 306,603,772 114,761,359
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 13, 2010[12]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
  Democratic 159,956 35.28%
  Republican 53,556 11.81%
  Unaffiliated 237,810 52.45%
  Minor Parties 2,054 0.45%
Total 453,376 100%

Cities, towns, and villages

  • Avon incorporated 1888 from Stoughton.
  • Bellingham incorporated 1719 from Dedham.
  • Braintree founded 1640.
  • Brookline incorporated 1705 from Boston.
  • Canton incorporated 1797 from Stoughton.
  • Cohasset incorporated 1770 from Hingham.
  • Dedham founded 1636. (County seat).
  • Dover incorporated 1784 from Dedham.
  • Foxborough incorporated 1778 from Wrentham.
  • Franklin incorporated 1778.
  • Holbrook incorporated 1872.
  • Medfield incorporated 1651 from Dedham.
  • Medway incorporated 1713 from Medfield.
  • Millis incorporated 1885 from Medway.
  • Milton incorporated 1662.
  • Needham incorporated 1711 from Dedham.
  • Norfolk incorporated 1870 from Wrentham.
  • Norwood incorporated 1872.
  • Plainville incorporated 1905 from Wrentham.
  • Quincy incorporated 1792 from Braintree.
  • Randolph incorporated 1793 from Braintree.
  • Sharon incorporated 1765 from Stoughton.
  • Stoughton incorporated 1726 from Dorchester.
  • Walpole incorporated 1724 from Dedham.
  • Wellesley incorporated 1881 from Needham.
  • Westwood incorporated 1897 from Dedham.
  • Weymouth founded 1635.
  • Wrentham incorporated 1673 from Dedham.

Note: West Roxbury (annexed to Boston 1874), Roxbury (annexed to Boston 1868), Dorchester (founded 1630, annexed to Boston 1870), Hyde Park (incorporated 1868 from Dorchester, Milton, and Dedham, annexed to Boston 1912), and Hingham and Hull were originally part of Norfolk County when the county was incorporated in 1793. As of August, 2012, Hingham's Precinct 2 will be part of the Fourth Norfolk District.[13]

* Villages are census divisions, but have no separate corporate existence from the towns they are in.

See also

References

  1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 26, 2013. 
  2. ^ Thomas Cox, Anthony Hall, Robert Morden, Magna Britannia Antiqua & Nova: Or, A New, Exact, and Comprehensive Survey of the Ancient and Present State of Great Britain, Volume 5, (Caesar Ward and Richard Chandler: London, 1738), pg. 171 (accessed on Google Book Search, June 22, 2008)
  3. ^ The County of Norfolk, Massachusetts. Last accessed December 21, 2006.
  4. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2013. 
  5. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Census.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2013. 
  6. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved 2011-06-11. 
  7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=05000US25017&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US25%7C05000US25017&_street=&_county=norfolk&_cityTown=norfolk&_state=04000US25&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=050&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
  9. ^ "SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-26. 
  10. ^ "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-26. 
  11. ^ "HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-26. 
  12. ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 15, 2008" (PDF). Massachusetts Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2012-05-08. 
  13. ^ [1]

External links

Municipalities and communities of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
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Coordinates: 42°10′N 71°11′W / 42.17°N 71.19°W / 42.17; -71.19