Kent County, Maryland | |
|---|---|
 Kent County Courthouse inChestertown | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMaryland | |
| Coordinates:39°14′N76°06′W / 39.23°N 76.1°W /39.23; -76.1 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| Founded | December 30, 1642 |
| Named after | Kent |
| Seat | Chestertown |
| Largest town | Chestertown |
| Area | |
• Total | 413 sq mi (1,070 km2) |
| • Land | 277 sq mi (720 km2) |
| • Water | 136 sq mi (350 km2) 33% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,198 |
| • Density | 69.3/sq mi (26.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | kentcounty |
Kent County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMaryland. As of the2020 census, its population was 19,198,[1] making it the least populous county in Maryland. Itscounty seat isChestertown.[2] The county was named for the county ofKent in England.[3] The county is part of theMid-Eastern Shore region of the state and is the oldest county in Maryland.[4]
Along withCaroline andGarrett Counties, it is one of three counties in the state that are not part of ametropolitan statistical area.
In 1608, CaptainJohn Smith explored and mapped a portion of what is now Kent County. In 1642, the governor and council appointed commissioners for theIsle and County of Kent. This act appears to have led to the establishment of Kent County. In 1675, the first county seat was New Yarmouth. The seat was briefly moved upriver to Quaker Neck, and then to the site of modernChestertown. Before theAmerican Revolution, New Town on Chester, now Chestertown, was a port entry for the counties of Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's.[5]
The county has a number of properties which are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6]
Kent County was themean center of U.S. population in the1790 census.
In 1793, the county had its first newspaper, calledApollo, orChestertown Spy. It was succeeded by local papers such as theChestertown Gazette.
Washington College, the oldest college in Maryland, is located in Kent County. It was the first college charted in the nation after theDeclaration of Independence and was founded by William Smith in 1782.George Washington authorized the use of his name and gave the college its largest gift of 50guineas. Washington served on the Board of Visitors and Governors for five years. The college has been host to four United States Presidents, including George Washington,Harry S. Truman,Dwight D. Eisenhower, andFranklin D. Roosevelt. All were awarded honorary degrees from the college.
TheWar of 1812 was the only war Kent County experienced on its soil. During the spring and summer of both 1813 and 1814, residents faced immediate threats from the enemy as the British terrorized the Chesapeake, looting and burning farms and towns. Kent County citizens and local militia were tested and stood their ground with ingenuity and determination during the burning of Georgetown, the rescue of the Kitty Knight House and theBattle of Caulk's Field.[7]
St. Paul's, the oldest Episcopal Church in Maryland used continuously as a place of worship. The earliest part of the building was constructed in 1711.[8] It is located approximately nine miles west of Chestertown.
Christ Church, frequently called I.U., was founded in 1765.Colonel Philip Reed aContinental Army andWar of 1812 soldier is buried here.
Shrewsbury Church is believed to be the first structure erected in the county, in 1693.John Cadwalader is buried in the Shrewsbury churchyard. The eulogy on his tomb was written byThomas Paine.[9]
Kent County was grantedhome rule in 1970 under a state code.
In the earlypost-Civil War era, Kent County was heavilyConfederate-leaning and leaned towards theDemocratic Party.[10]William McKinley was the only Republican to carry the county between 1876 and 1924. After that, although carried byFranklin Roosevelt andHarry Truman during the five consecutive Democratic victories between 1932 and 1948, the county trendedRepublican relative to national voting. Currently, along withTalbot County further south, Kent County is the most politically competitive county on theEastern Shore of Maryland. In 2004, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush won it with 52.8% of the vote to DemocratJohn Kerry's 46.1%. In the2008 United States Presidential Election,Barack Obama won Kent County by 48 votes more thanJohn McCain.[11] In 2012, RepublicanMitt Romney won Kent County by 28 votes over Democrat Barack Obama. In 2016, RepublicanDonald Trump won Kent County with 48.7% of the vote to DemocratHillary Clinton's 45.7%, and a 20-year record high of 5.7% of the vote forthird-party candidates. In 2020,Joe Biden flipped the county, winning it by 134 votes.[12] In 2024, the county voted for Trump again, this time overKamala Harris.[13]
The members of the County Council as of 2022 are:[14]
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Ronald H. Fithian | Republican | At Large | 2006 | |
| Member | Albert H. Nickerson | Republican | At Large | 2022 | |
| Member | John F. Price | Republican | At Large | 2022 | |
Kent County lies wholly in Senate District 36 and elects three House of Delegates Members who serve at-large countywide. Members listed below as of 2018 are:
| Position | District | Name | Affiliation | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | 36 | Steve Hershey[17] | Republican | 2012 | |
| House of Delegates | 36A | Steven Arentz[18] | Republican | 2013 | |
| House of Delegates | 36B | Jefferson Ghrist[19] | Republican | 2014 | |
| House of Delegates | 36C | Jay A. Jacobs[20] | Republican | 2010 | |
| Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024[21] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 5,770 | 41.05% | |||
| Republican | 5,297 | 37.68% | |||
| Unaffiliated | 2,778 | 19.76% | |||
| Libertarian | 69 | 0.49% | |||
| Other parties | 143 | 1.02% | |||
| Total | 14,057 | 100% | |||
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 5,561 | 49.97% | 5,251 | 47.19% | 316 | 2.84% |
| 2020 | 5,195 | 48.13% | 5,329 | 49.37% | 270 | 2.50% |
| 2016 | 4,876 | 48.66% | 4,575 | 45.65% | 570 | 5.69% |
| 2012 | 4,870 | 49.17% | 4,842 | 48.89% | 192 | 1.94% |
| 2008 | 4,905 | 48.95% | 4,953 | 49.43% | 162 | 1.62% |
| 2004 | 4,900 | 52.77% | 4,278 | 46.07% | 107 | 1.15% |
| 2000 | 4,155 | 51.39% | 3,627 | 44.86% | 303 | 3.75% |
| 1996 | 3,055 | 43.66% | 3,207 | 45.83% | 736 | 10.52% |
| 1992 | 3,094 | 40.56% | 3,093 | 40.55% | 1,441 | 18.89% |
| 1988 | 3,761 | 55.87% | 2,925 | 43.45% | 46 | 0.68% |
| 1984 | 3,897 | 61.63% | 2,390 | 37.80% | 36 | 0.57% |
| 1980 | 2,889 | 45.83% | 2,986 | 47.37% | 429 | 6.81% |
| 1976 | 2,821 | 46.77% | 3,211 | 53.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 4,036 | 64.36% | 2,168 | 34.57% | 67 | 1.07% |
| 1968 | 2,946 | 46.50% | 2,243 | 35.41% | 1,146 | 18.09% |
| 1964 | 2,008 | 32.81% | 4,113 | 67.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 3,264 | 51.46% | 3,079 | 48.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 3,747 | 61.18% | 2,378 | 38.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 3,656 | 59.24% | 2,504 | 40.58% | 11 | 0.18% |
| 1948 | 2,489 | 49.31% | 2,524 | 50.00% | 35 | 0.69% |
| 1944 | 2,351 | 48.93% | 2,454 | 51.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 2,639 | 46.45% | 3,014 | 53.05% | 28 | 0.49% |
| 1936 | 2,543 | 46.18% | 2,931 | 53.22% | 33 | 0.60% |
| 1932 | 1,468 | 38.09% | 2,370 | 61.49% | 16 | 0.42% |
| 1928 | 2,777 | 52.82% | 2,450 | 46.60% | 30 | 0.57% |
| 1924 | 2,019 | 42.51% | 2,628 | 55.34% | 102 | 2.15% |
| 1920 | 2,838 | 48.22% | 3,034 | 51.55% | 14 | 0.24% |
| 1916 | 1,673 | 46.38% | 1,886 | 52.29% | 48 | 1.33% |
| 1912 | 1,021 | 30.21% | 1,816 | 53.73% | 543 | 16.07% |
| 1908 | 1,753 | 46.98% | 1,939 | 51.97% | 39 | 1.05% |
| 1904 | 1,841 | 47.91% | 1,956 | 50.90% | 46 | 1.20% |
| 1900 | 2,426 | 53.05% | 2,076 | 45.40% | 71 | 1.55% |
| 1896 | 2,399 | 53.73% | 1,980 | 44.34% | 86 | 1.93% |
| 1892 | 1,886 | 47.27% | 2,009 | 50.35% | 95 | 2.38% |
| 1888 | 2,037 | 48.64% | 2,062 | 49.24% | 89 | 2.13% |
| 1884 | 2,048 | 48.22% | 2,152 | 50.67% | 47 | 1.11% |
| 1880 | 1,853 | 48.48% | 1,969 | 51.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1876 | 1,685 | 46.52% | 1,937 | 53.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 1,658 | 50.53% | 1,623 | 49.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1868 | 266 | 16.65% | 1,332 | 83.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1864 | 413 | 24.55% | 1,269 | 75.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1860 | 42 | 2.53% | 74 | 4.45% | 1,546 | 93.02% |
| 1852 | 662 | 54.58% | 551 | 45.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1848 | 645 | 58.90% | 447 | 40.82% | 3 | 0.27% |
| 1844 | 728 | 58.01% | 527 | 41.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1840 | 679 | 58.79% | 476 | 41.21% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1836 | 589 | 61.61% | 367 | 38.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
TheKent County Sheriff is Dennis Hickman.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 413 square miles (1,070 km2), of which 277 square miles (720 km2) is land and 136 square miles (350 km2) (33%) is water.[23]
According to the Maryland Geological Survey, the highest point in Kent County is 102 ft above sea level, approximately 2.25 mi west of Coleman's Corner (shown on maps as "Coleman"), just northeast of the mouth of Still Pond Creek.[24]
Kent County has a 209-mile shoreline, including Eastern Neck Island. The Chesapeake Bay is on the west, Sassafras River on the north, and the Chester River on the south. The eastern border with Delaware is part of the Mason–Dixon line.
Nearby cities: Baltimore, MD; Washington D.C.; Philadelphia, PA; Wilmington, DE
US 301
MD 20
MD 21
MD 213
MD 288
MD 289
MD 290
MD 291
MD 292
MD 297
MD 298
MD 299
MD 313
MD 330
MD 444
MD 445
MD 446
MD 447
MD 514
MD 561
MD 566
MD 674
MD 855| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 12,836 | — | |
| 1800 | 11,771 | −8.3% | |
| 1810 | 11,450 | −2.7% | |
| 1820 | 11,453 | 0.0% | |
| 1830 | 10,501 | −8.3% | |
| 1840 | 10,842 | 3.2% | |
| 1850 | 11,386 | 5.0% | |
| 1860 | 13,267 | 16.5% | |
| 1870 | 17,102 | 28.9% | |
| 1880 | 17,605 | 2.9% | |
| 1890 | 17,471 | −0.8% | |
| 1900 | 18,786 | 7.5% | |
| 1910 | 16,957 | −9.7% | |
| 1920 | 15,026 | −11.4% | |
| 1930 | 14,242 | −5.2% | |
| 1940 | 13,465 | −5.5% | |
| 1950 | 13,677 | 1.6% | |
| 1960 | 15,481 | 13.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,146 | 4.3% | |
| 1980 | 16,695 | 3.4% | |
| 1990 | 17,842 | 6.9% | |
| 2000 | 19,197 | 7.6% | |
| 2010 | 20,197 | 5.2% | |
| 2020 | 19,198 | −4.9% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 19,303 | [25] | 0.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[26] 1790–1960[27] 1900–1990[28] 1990–2000[29] 2010–2018[30] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 19,198. The median age was 49.2 years, with 15.8% of residents under the age of 18 and 27.3% aged 65 or older.[31]For every 100 females there were 92.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.2 males; 30.4% of residents lived in urban areas while 69.6% lived in rural areas.[31][32]
The racial makeup of the county was 75.9% White, 14.6%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 5.6% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.5% of the population.[33]
There were 8,075 households in the county, of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 29.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[31]
There were 10,286 housing units, of which 21.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.5% were owner-occupied and 29.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[31]
As of the2010 U.S. census, there were 20,197 people, 8,165 households, and 5,272 families living in the county.[34] The population density was 72.9 inhabitants per square mile (28.1/km2). There were 10,549 housing units at an average density of 38.1 per square mile (14.7/km2).[35] The racial makeup of the county was 80.1% white, 15.1% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.5% of the population.[34] In terms of ancestry, 18.7% wereEnglish, 18.7% wereGerman, 15.5% wereIrish, 7.9% wereAmerican, and 5.8% wereItalian.[36]
Of the 8,165 households, 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.4% were non-families, and 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age was 45.6 years.[34]
The median income for a household in the county was $50,141 and the median income for a family was $63,507. Males had a median income of $41,046 versus $35,161 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,536. About 5.1% of families and 12.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[37]
Kent County Public Schools is the school district for all of Kent County.[38]
This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:
The United States Census Bureau recognizes the followingCensus-designated places in Kent County:
Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
39°14′N76°06′W / 39.23°N 76.10°W /39.23; -76.10
Places adjacent to Kent County, Maryland | |
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Municipalities and communities ofKent County, Maryland,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
