Queen Anne's County, Maryland

Queen Anne's County is located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,874.[1] Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville.[2] The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place with population of 7,442 as of 2020. The county is named for Queen Anne of Great Britain, who reigned when the county was established in 1706 during the colonial period.

Queen Anne's County
County
Queen Anne's County Courthouse in Centreville, Maryland
Queen Anne's County Courthouse in Centreville, Maryland
Flag of Queen Anne's County
Flag
Official seal of Queen Anne's County
Seal
Map of Maryland highlighting Queen Anne's County
Location within the U.S. state of Maryland
Map of the United States highlighting Maryland
Maryland's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°02′N 76°05′W
Country United States
State Maryland
Founded1706
Named forQueen Anne
SeatCentreville
Largest communityStevensville
Area
 • Total511 sq mi (1,320 km2)
 • Land372 sq mi (960 km2)
 • Water139 sq mi (360 km2)  27%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total49,874
 • Density98/sq mi (38/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.qac.org

Queen Anne's County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area, and is the easternmost in both.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge connects Kent Island in Queen Anne's County across Chesapeake Bay to Anne Arundel County. The American Discovery Trail runs through the county.

History

Queen Anne's County has 265 miles of waterfront, much of that being the shores of Kent Island, which stands out from the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. From the waters of this county, watermen have harvested oysters, crabs, and terrapin. Migrating waterfowl overwinter here, and hunting for geese and ducks has been an important part of the county's history. The first Anglo-European settlement in Maryland was on Kent Island on August 21, 1631, and included twenty-five settlers in a manor house, a fort, and other buildings. The settlement was referred to as Winston's Island. The first houses were built similar to log cabins. The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places,[3] but nothing remains of this original settlement. Stevensville, earlier known as Broad Creek, is one of the oldest towns still existing.

Queen Anne's County was organized under a sheriff in 1706, bounded by Talbot, Kent, and Dorchester counties. In 1713, Queen Anne's County became an English postal district; the sheriff was also appointed as the postmaster and would travel to Annapolis, Maryland by boat across the Chesapeake Bay to obtain mail. In 1773 a part of Queen Anne's County, together with a portion of Dorchester County, was taken to form Caroline County. The county now is enclosed by Talbot, Caroline, and Kent counties, as well as the Chesapeake Bay.

By the time of Independence, the county had several churches, a government, school, and a postal system. It was developed for agriculture, and enslaved African Americans worked the fields of plantations. Tobacco was an early commodity crop but it exhausted the soil. By the Revolution, some planters were converting to mixed agriculture, which was less labor-intensive. They sold excess slaves in the domestic trade to the developing cotton plantations of the Deep South.

In 1876, Queen Anne's County had the first printed independent paper called the Maryland Citizen. A bank was located in Centreville; the Centreville National Bank is still operating. A railway was constructed here in 1868; it operated from Baltimore, passing around the top of the Chesapeake Bay down to Queenstown, and connected with other railroads that continued east into[4] Delaware as far as Rehoboth, and southward to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

In the 20th century, Queen Anne's County was the home of Jimmie Foxx, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. A statue and small park commemorate him in Sudlersville, where Foxx grew up.

Politics and government

Queen Anne's was historically the most strongly secessionist county in Maryland, dominated by the Democratic Party of the planters. Following the American Civil War, the predominately conservative white voters voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election from 1868 to 1948, though Herbert Hoover came within a point of defeating Al Smith in 1928 amidst great Southern resentment to Smith's Catholicism and opposition to Prohibition.[5] Former general Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first Republican to carry the county in 1952.

Since the late 20th century, Queen Anne's white voters have largely shifted to the Republican Party, in a realignment that has taken place among conservative whites across the South following the tumultuous 1960s and passage of national civil rights legislation. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Queen Anne's County since Texan Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 landslide.[6] Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1980 remains the last Democrat to obtain even forty percent of the county’s vote, and he in 1976 was the last to come within ten points of winning the county.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment of Queen Anne’s County[7]
Party Total Percentage
Democratic 11,205 28.22%
Republican 19,786 49.82%
Independents, unaffiliated, and other 8,722 21.96%
Total 39,713 100.00%
United States presidential election results for Queen Anne's County, Maryland[8]
Year Republican / Whig Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 18,741 61.87% 10,709 35.35% 840 2.77%
2016 16,993 64.07% 7,973 30.06% 1,557 5.87%
2012 15,823 63.58% 8,556 34.38% 509 2.05%
2008 15,087 62.74% 8,575 35.66% 383 1.59%
2004 14,489 66.48% 7,070 32.44% 235 1.08%
2000 9,970 59.48% 6,257 37.33% 534 3.19%
1996 7,147 52.40% 5,054 37.06% 1,438 10.54%
1992 6,829 47.05% 4,668 32.16% 3,017 20.79%
1988 7,803 66.68% 3,857 32.96% 43 0.37%
1984 6,784 69.49% 2,938 30.09% 41 0.42%
1980 4,749 52.12% 3,820 41.92% 543 5.96%
1976 3,479 50.16% 3,457 49.84% 0 0.00%
1972 4,380 70.45% 1,712 27.54% 125 2.01%
1968 2,888 46.92% 1,969 31.99% 1,298 21.09%
1964 1,955 32.55% 4,052 67.45% 0 0.00%
1960 2,906 48.18% 3,126 51.82% 0 0.00%
1956 3,321 55.70% 2,641 44.30% 0 0.00%
1952 3,170 50.60% 3,058 48.81% 37 0.59%
1948 2,038 42.98% 2,660 56.09% 44 0.93%
1944 2,119 41.18% 3,027 58.82% 0 0.00%
1940 2,508 40.94% 3,581 58.46% 37 0.60%
1936 1,946 35.36% 3,548 64.47% 9 0.16%
1932 1,583 29.90% 3,683 69.57% 28 0.53%
1928 2,666 49.47% 2,700 50.10% 23 0.43%
1924 1,656 33.74% 3,155 64.28% 97 1.98%
1920 2,157 37.43% 3,519 61.07% 86 1.49%
1916 1,242 35.50% 2,206 63.05% 51 1.46%
1912 1,311 38.27% 1,902 55.52% 213 6.22%
1908 1,135 34.04% 2,086 62.57% 113 3.39%
1904 1,487 38.28% 2,258 58.12% 140 3.60%
1900 1,873 41.27% 2,544 56.06% 121 2.67%
1896 1,917 41.53% 2,516 54.51% 183 3.96%
1892 1,579 39.25% 2,281 56.70% 163 4.05%
1888 1,738 43.19% 2,286 56.81% 0 0.00%
1884 1,710 42.18% 2,344 57.82% 0 0.00%
1880 1,666 41.93% 2,307 58.07% 0 0.00%
1876 1,476 40.72% 2,149 59.28% 0 0.00%
1872 1,654 47.83% 1,804 52.17% 0 0.00%
1868 275 15.05% 1,552 84.95% 0 0.00%
1864 384 20.58% 1,482 79.42% 0 0.00%
1860 0 0.00% 87 4.64% 1,787 95.36%
1856 0 0.00% 741 45.05% 904 54.95%
1852 723 49.59% 735 50.41% 0 0.00%
1848 725 54.23% 612 45.77% 0 0.00%
1844 749 50.92% 722 49.08% 0 0.00%
1840 778 54.07% 661 45.93% 0 0.00%
1836 637 55.20% 517 44.80% 0 0.00%

Queen Anne's County was granted home rule in 1990 under a state code.

The county has a commission form of government. The commission consists of five commissioners: one at-large and four of whom must reside in the district they represent. All of the commissioners are elected by the general population. The at-large commissioner serves as president the first year following election. County code allows for rotation of the president position thereafter.

The current Board of Commissioners was elected in the 2018 election, and serves a four-year term. The current County Commissioners are Stephen Wilson (District 2), Christopher M. Corchiarino (District 4), Philip L. Dumenil (District 3), James J. Moran (at-large), and Jack N. Wilson, Jr. (District 1).[9] The current form of five commissioners elected at large started in 2002. Prior to the 2002 election, Queen Anne's County was run by three commissioners.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 511 square miles (1,320 km2), of which 372 square miles (960 km2) is land and 139 square miles (360 km2) (27%) is water.[10]

Adjacent counties
US 50 and US 301 in Queen Anne's County

Major roads and highways

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179015,463—
180014,857−3.9%
181016,64812.1%
182014,952−10.2%
183014,397−3.7%
184012,633−12.3%
185014,48414.7%
186015,96110.2%
187016,1711.3%
188019,25719.1%
189018,461−4.1%
190018,364−0.5%
191016,839−8.3%
192016,001−5.0%
193014,571−8.9%
194014,476−0.7%
195014,5790.7%
196016,56913.6%
197018,42211.2%
198025,50838.5%
199033,95333.1%
200040,56319.5%
201047,79817.8%
202049,8744.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010–2018[1]

2000 census

As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 40,563 people, 15,315 households, and 11,547 families living in the county. The population density was 109 people per square mile (42 people/km2). There were 16,674 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.05% White, 8.78% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.9% were of German, 15.1% American, 14.6% English, 14.2% Irish and 5.3% Italian ancestry.

There were 15,315 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 19.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,037, and the median income for a family was $63,713. Males had a median income of $44,644 versus $30,144 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,364. About 4.40% of families and 6.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.20% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 47,798 people, 18,016 households, and 13,314 families living in the county.[16] The population density was 128.5 inhabitants per square mile (49.6/km2). There were 20,140 housing units at an average density of 54.2 per square mile (20.9/km2).[17] The racial makeup of the county was 88.7% white, 6.9% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population.[16] In terms of ancestry, 25.9% were German, 22.4% were Irish, 15.8% were English, 6.2% were Italian, and 6.1% were American.[18]

Of the 18,016 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.1% were non-families, and 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 42.6 years.[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $81,096 and the median income for a family was $89,188. Males had a median income of $57,218 versus $43,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,964. About 3.8% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.[19]

Education

Public schools
Main article: Queen Anne's County Public Schools
  • Kent Island High School
  • Queen Anne's County High School
  • Centreville Middle School
  • Matapeake Middle School
  • Stevensville Middle School
  • Sudlersville Middle School
  • Bayside Elementary School
  • Centreville Elementary School
  • Church Hill Elementary School
  • Grasonville Elementary School
  • Kennard Elementary School
  • Kent Island Elementary School
  • Matapeake Elementary School
  • Sudlersville Elementary School
  • Gunston Day School
  • Wye River Upper School

Colleges and universities

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

Unincorporated communities

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  4. Clark, Charles B. (1950). The Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., Inc. pp. 1053–1070.
  5. Levine, Mark V.; ‘Standing Political Decisions and Critical Realignment: The Pattern of Maryland Politics, 1872-1948’; The Journal of Politics, volume 38, no. 2 (May, 1976), pp. 292-325
  6. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  7. "Summary of Voter Activity Report" (PDF). Maryland State Board of Elections. October 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  8. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  9. "Board of County Commissioners | Queen Anne's County, MD - Official Website". www.qac.org. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  10. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  13. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  16. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  17. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  18. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  19. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
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