Harpswell, Maine
Harpswell, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 43°47′9″N 69°57′27″W / 43.78583, -69.9575
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Cumberland
Area
- Total	83.9 sq mi (217.4 km²)
- Land	24.2 sq mi (62.6 km²)
- Water	59.7 sq mi (154.7 km²)
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	5,239
- Density	216.7/sq mi (83.7/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04079
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-31390
GNIS feature ID	0582511

A view of the ocean near Lookout Point in Harpswell.

Harpswell is a town in Cumberland County Maine which is geographically within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. The town is composed of land contiguous with the rest of Cumberland County, as well as a several large and small islands, including Great Island, Orr's Island, and Bailey Island.

The population was 5,239 at the 2000 census. The town was originally called Merriconeag before it was incorporated in 1758.^[1] The Bailey Island Bridge is an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Harpswell is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Photographs

For a selection of photographs of Harpswell, see this online scrapbook.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 83.9 square miles (217.4 km²), of which, 24.2 square miles (62.6 km²) of it is land and 59.8 square miles (154.8 km²) of it (71.20%) is water.

Harpswell has over 150 miles of coast, more than any other town in Maine.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 5,239 people, 2,340 households, and 1,532 families residing in the town. The population density was 216.7 people per square mile (83.7/km²). There were 3,701 housing units at an average density of 153.1/sq mi (59.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.94% White, 0.25% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population.

There were 2,340 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,611, and the median income for a family was $45,119. Males had a median income of $34,167 versus $30,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,433. About 3.3% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in the area are operated by Maine School Administrative District 75.

External links

• Harpswell government
• Harpswell Business Association
• Curtis Library (regional)
• Orr's Island Library
• Cundy's Harbor Library
• Harpswell Land Trust
• Friends of Casco Bay
• Harpswell Historical Society

References

• History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine Including Ancient Pejebscot. By George Augustus Wheeler and Henry Warren Wheeler. Published 1878. Full image at books.google.