According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,217 square miles (3,150 km2), of which 835 square miles (2,160 km2) is land and 382 square miles (990 km2) (31%) is water.[4]
Most ofCasco Bay and most of its islands east of East Cundy Point belong to the county's territory, as does the northernmost part of Saco Bay. Sebago Lake flows into Casco Bay via thePresumpscot River, and Nonesuch River flows into Saco Bay. North and west of Sebago Lake, the terrain of the county begins to flow into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain range.
As of the2000 census, there were 265,612 people, 107,989 households, and 67,709 families living in the county. The population density was 318 inhabitants per square mile (123/km2). There were 122,600 housing units at an average density of 147 per square mile (57/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.74%White, 1.06%Black orAfrican American, 0.29%Native American, 1.40%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 0.35% fromother races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 107,989 households, out of which 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% weremarried couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.30% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.30% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,048, and the median income for a family was $54,485. Males had a median income of $35,850 versus $27,935 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $23,949. About 5.20% of families and 7.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.
As of the2010 United States Census, there were 281,674 people, 117,339 households, and 70,778 families living in the county.[11] The population density was 337.2 inhabitants per square mile (130.2/km2). There were 138,657 housing units at an average density of 166.0 per square mile (64.1/km2).[12] The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 2.4% black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 22.7% wereEnglish, 21.1% wereIrish, 9.0% wereGerman, 8.4% wereItalian, 6.0% wereScottish, 5.5% wereFrench Canadian, and 4.4% wereAmerican.[13]
Of the 117,339 households, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.7% were non-families, and 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.0 years.[11]
The median income for a household in the county was $55,658 and the median income for a family was $71,335. Males had a median income of $48,158 versus $38,539 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,041. About 6.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.[14]
Cumberland County courthouse inPortland, the county seat
Cumberland County is represented by county commissioners and the daily operations are run by a county manager. The county has several responsibilities, including running a Sheriff's department, theCumberland County Jail, and a county court system. Cumberland County also has its own treasury department, emergency management agency and also has a district attorney office. The county also has a stake in theCross Insurance Arena (formerly called the Cumberland County Civic Center), as well as programs in local economic development and tourism.
Cumberland County is divided into five districts of approximate equal population, each of which elects one county commissioner. Thesheriff is elected countywide and runs the Cumberland County Sheriff's office and the Cumberland County Jail.
Like the rest of Maine, Cumberland County was a solid Republican county after theCivil War. Between1860 and1960, the Republican presidential nominee won Cumberland County in every election except1912, when the county was won by DemocratWoodrow Wilson following a split in the Republican vote between incumbent presidentWilliam Howard Taft andProgressive nominee, the former Republican presidentTheodore Roosevelt. The county remained steadfastly and overwhelmingly Republican even inFranklin D. Roosevelt's huge Democratic landslide win in1936.
In1964, DemocratLyndon B. Johnson won Cumberland County and Maine's 15 other counties as part of a 44-state landslide over controversial Republican nomineeBarry Goldwater. Cumberland remained in the Democratic column in1968, backingHubert H. Humphrey, who had chosen Maine SenatorEdmund Muskie as his running mate. These Democratic victories were a sign of things to come for Cumberland County. Though it would snap back into the Republican column forRichard Nixon in1972, Republican victories in Cumberland grew increasingly narrower, with RepublicanGerald Ford winning it by less than 2,000 votes over DemocratJimmy Carter in1976. Carter would narrowly win the county in1980, marking the first time Cumberland had diverged from the rest of Maine in a presidential election, as the state would be carried by Republican nomineeRonald Reagan.
Reagan would easily carry Cumberland in his 49-state landslide re-election in1984; however, it was Maine's closest county, with DemocratWalter Mondale losing it by a relatively narrow 13.7%. In1988,George H. W. Bush would become the last Republican, as of 2020, to carry Cumberland County at the presidential level, winning it by less than seven points. In1992, DemocratBill Clinton would win the county with nearly 43% of the vote against Bush and independentRoss Perot; it would be the last time a Democrat would receive less than 50% of the vote in Cumberland County in a presidential election. In2004, Cumberland would become the most Democratic county in Maine, a position it has retained through2020. In2008, over 105,000 ballots would be cast for the Democratic candidate,Barack Obama; it would be the first time a candidate received 100,000 votes in Cumberland County in history. Democrats have exceeded 100,000 votes in Cumberland in each subsequent presidential election. In2020, DemocratJoe Biden won Cumberland County with 66% of the vote, the most lopsided presidential election result in the county since Lyndon Johnson won 69% of the vote in 1964.
In2012, the county voted 65% to legalize same-sex marriage.[15]
The fictional town ofJerusalem's Lot, featured in thevampire novel'Salem's Lot byStephen King, is situated in Cumberland County. King makes passing reference to other nearby towns and cities, including Portland, Falmouth, and Westbrook.
The video gameTrauma Team takes place in Cumberland County in the year 2020, referencingPortland and itsBack Cove neighborhood. Neither actual hospital housed in Portland is mentioned in-game; instead, a fictional trauma center called Resurgam First Care is fabricated for the plot (in real life, Portland's city motto is "Resurgam", Latin for "I will rise again"). Two other fictional places are mentioned that reference the county name: "Cumberland College" and "Cumberland Institute of Forensic Medicine".
