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42-489: Dorchester County is the name of two counties in the United States: Dorchester County, Maryland Dorchester County, South Carolina [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

84-476: A council-administrator system where voters elected council members who in turn appointed an administrator to oversee the government. The legislative functions of government are vested in the County Council . The County Council consists of seven members, five of whom are elected from single-member districts ; the other two are elected at-large . The County Executive oversees the executive branch of

126-492: A household in the county was $ 39,035, and the median income for a family was $ 47,129. Males had a median income of $ 32,481 versus $ 23,548 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 19,171. About 8.70% of families and 12.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families living in

168-727: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland . At the 2020 census , the population was 32,531. Its county seat is Cambridge . The county was formed in 1669 and named for the Earl of Dorset , a family friend of the Calverts (the founding family of the Maryland colony). The county is part of the Mid-Eastern Shore region of the state. Dorchester County comprises the Cambridge, MD Micropolitan Statistical Area , which

210-613: Is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Maryland , on the Delmarva Peninsula . As of the 2020 census , the population was 103,588. The county seat is Salisbury . The county was named for the Wicomico River , which in turn derives its name from the Algonquian language words wicko mekee , meaning "a place where houses are built," apparently referring to a Native American town on

252-604: Is also included in the Salisbury-Cambridge, MD-DE Combined Statistical Area . Dorchester County is the largest county by total area in Maryland. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware , to the east, and the Chesapeake Bay to the west. Dorchester County uses

294-573: Is headquartered at Salisbury–Ocean City–Wicomico Regional Airport in unincorporated Wicomico County. Other major employers in the county include Salisbury University , Verizon , Peninsula Regional Medical Center , The Knowland Group , Cadista Pharmaceuticals, Chesapeake Shipbuilding , Dove Pointe, and Pepsi Bottling of Delmarva. Other industries in Wicomico County include electronic component manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, and agriculture. U.S. 13 runs north–south through

336-609: Is land and 26 square miles (67 km ) (6.4%) is water. The county's boundary with Delaware is composed of the Mason-Dixon line and the Transpeninsular Line . The intersection of these two historical lines is the midpoint of the Transpeninsular Line, fixed by Mason and Dixon between 1763 and 1767. The midpoint is located about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Salisbury, near the center of

378-490: The 2020 United States Census , there were 103,588 people. The racial makeup of the county was 59.3% white, 27.0% black or African American, 3.0% Asian, 0.4% American Indian and Alaskan Native, 3.7% from other races, and 6.5% from two or more races. Wicomico County Public Schools operates all public schools in the county. Perdue Farms , a poultry and grain corporation, is headquartered in Salisbury. Piedmont Airlines

420-517: The 2024 elections on whether to restore Wicomico County to a council–manager government , thereby abolishing the county executive position. If approved, the measure would go into effect at the conclusion of Julie Giordano's current term in late 2026. Law enforcement in the county is provided by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office . The sheriff, Mike Lewis, a Republican, is an elected official. Municipal police agencies exist in

462-590: The Delmarva Peninsula . The county is generally flat, characteristic of the region, with a few small hills in the northeast. The lowest elevation is at sea level and the highest elevation is 98 ft (30 m). The county has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) according to the Köppen climate classification . According to the Trewartha climate classification , the subtropical boundary of eight months of daily averages of at least 50 °F (10 °C) runs through

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504-410: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 983 square miles (2,550 km ), of which 541 square miles (1,400 km ) is land and 442 square miles (1,140 km ) (45%) is water. It is the largest county in Maryland by area. Dorchester has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) according to the Köppen climate classification . The Trewartha climate classification has only the area near

546-402: The 13,522 households, 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.2% were non-families, and 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 43.3 years. The median household income

588-475: The 2000 census , there were 30,674 people, 12,706 households and 8,500 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 per square mile (21/km ). There were 14,681 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 69.45% White , 28.39% Black or African American , 0.23% Native American , 0.66% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 0.39% from other races , and 0.89% from two or more races. 1.26% of

630-628: The Acting County Executive during vacancies in the office of the County Executive. Upon the death of Robert L. "Bob" Culver Jr., on July 26, 2020, the Wicomico County Council appointed then-Director of Administration John D. Psota to that role in an acting capacity until the 2022 election cycle for the county executive seat. In June 2024, the Wicomico County Council voted to approve a referendum for

672-458: The County government, which consists of a number of offices and departments. The executive branch is charged with implementing County law and overseeing the operation of County Government. The position of County Executive was established by a modification of the county's Charter in 2006. Day-to-day functions of the executive branch fall to the appointed Director of Administration, who also serves as

714-609: The Mid-Shore, including Dorchester. Dorchester County is included in the coverage area of local television stations WBOC , WMDT and WRDE-LD . It also receives coverage from television stations based in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It is also by a local LPFM radio station, WHCP-LP (101.5FM), operated by the locally based non-profit Cambridge Community Radio, Inc. Wicomico County, Maryland Wicomico County ( / w aɪ ˈ k ɒ m ɪ k oʊ / wy- KOM -ik-oh )

756-523: The North. Dorchester County has been hit by two deadly tornadoes. The first occurred on June 23, 1944 , in Cambridge, where two people were killed and 33 were injured. The other was on May 8, 1984 , in Hurlock, where one death and six injuries were reported. Both storms caused between 500,000 and 5 million dollars of damage. Dorchester County operates under the charter home rule form of government, and

798-580: The Republican Party. Bill Clinton , a son of the South, came within 384 votes of beating Bob Dole in 1996. The county trended Republican in 2000 and 2004, but Barack Obama obtained a higher proportion of the county vote in 2008 and 2012, likely benefiting from support from young, educated, or minority voters. In 2020, Joe Biden came extremely close to winning the county, with Donald Trump only edging him out by 890 votes. Biden obtained 47.7% of

840-409: The affairs of the county are managed by five county council members. Each is elected from a single-member district defined within the county. Meetings of the county council are held weekly. The agenda and the minutes of each week's proceedings are public record. In earlier times, unlike highly secessionist Wicomico , Worcester , Queen Anne's and Cecil counties, Dorchester was a swing county in

882-952: The banks. The county is included in the Salisbury, MD-DE Metropolitan Statistical Area . The county is part of the Lower Eastern Shore region of the state. Wicomico County was created from Somerset and Worcester counties in 1867. Wicomico County was granted a charter form of government in 1964. In the period after the Reconstruction era , Wicomico County became solidly Democratic due to its strong support for secession and state efforts to disenfranchise most blacks by raising barriers to voter registration. Independent insurgent white groups worked to intimidate and discourage black voters, especially in rural areas. No Republican carried Wicomico County until 1928, when Herbert Hoover won due to anti-Catholic sentiment in

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924-528: The bay as Cf and the remainder of the county as oceanic ( Do .) Average monthly temperatures in Cambridge range from 36.1 °F in January to 78.4 °F in July. Dorchester County is sparsely populated and is the least densely populated county in Maryland. The largest town is Cambridge with a population of 12,326 as of the 2010 census. Much of this county is made up of marshlands, forest, and farmland. At

966-471: The county's vote, the highest percentage for any Democrat since 1964. Trump also won less than 50% of the vote, the first time a Republican had been held below a majority of the vote in Wicomico County since 1996. Wicomico County's government, since 2006, uses a council-elected executive system where the voters elect members of the County Council and Executive. Prior to 2006, the county operated under

1008-594: The county, while U.S. 50 runs east–west through the county. Salisbury–Ocean City–Wicomico Regional Airport is the only airport in the region offering commercial passenger fights. These flights are run by American Eagle to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Charlotte, North Carolina . Until 1957 the Pennsylvania railroad operated the Del-Mar-Va Express train from Cape Charles, Virginia , through Salisbury Union Station to Philadelphia. Salisbury

1050-401: The county. The population density was 263.7 inhabitants per square mile (101.8/km ). There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 110.0 per square mile (42.5/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% white, 24.2% black or African American, 2.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.9% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.5% of

1092-533: The county. The population density was 60.3 inhabitants per square mile (23.3/km ). There were 16,554 housing units at an average density of 30.6 per square mile (11.8/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 67.6% white, 27.7% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.0% were American , 13.9% were English , 11.4% were German , and 11.1% were Irish . Of

1134-452: The heavily Protestant county against Democratic candidate Al Smith . The popular general Dwight D. Eisenhower carried Wicomico in 1952. Eisenhower would again carry Wicomico in 1956, and Republican Richard Nixon would win it in 1960 against John F. Kennedy who, like Al Smith, was Catholic. No Democratic presidential nominee has won Wicomico County since Lyndon Johnson ’s landslide in 1964 , as white conservatives increasingly moved into

1176-625: The late 19th century due to the voting power of its freedman population, who strongly supported the Republican Party. The conservative whites voted Democratic for William Jennings Bryan in 1908, after Maryland had passed laws raising barriers to voter registration among blacks, resulting in a dramatic drop in their voting until after passage of civil rights legislation in the 1960s. The white population of Dorchester has historically voted very conservatively. Along with rock-ribbed Unionist Garrett County , located in Appalachia, its white majority

1218-430: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dorchester_County&oldid=932800417 " Category : United States county name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Dorchester County, Maryland Dorchester County

1260-569: The northern part of Wicomico County. The hardiness zone is mainly 7b. As of the census of 2000 , there were 84,644 people, 32,218 households, and 21,779 families living in the county. The population density was 224 inhabitants per square mile (86/km ). There were 34,401 housing units at an average density of 91 per square mile (35/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 72.58% White , 23.29% Black or African American , 0.22% Native American , 1.75% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.80% from other races , and 1.34% from two or more races. 2.18% of

1302-463: The population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 20.1% were of American , 12.7% English , 9.8% German and 8.2% Irish ancestry. There were 12,706 households, of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.50% were married couples living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.10% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who

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1344-531: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest ancestry groups in Wicomico County are 23% African American , 14% English American , 13% German , 12% Irish and 4% Italian . There were 32,218 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 14.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.80% had someone living alone who

1386-448: The population. In terms of ancestry, 15.7% were English , 15.1% were German , 13.6% were Irish , 6.0% were American , and 5.6% were Italian . Of the 37,220 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.1% were non-families, and 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

1428-502: The slogan, "The Heart of Chesapeake Country", due to its geographical location and the heart-like shape of the county on a map. Many residents of Dorchester County have historically been watermen and farmers. The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries provide harvests of crabs, oysters and many fish species to both commercial and recreational fishermen. Dorchester County was the birthplace of Harriet Tubman , who escaped from slavery and afterward worked to guide other refugee slaves to freedom in

1470-436: The towns of Delmar and Pittsville , along with the cities of Fruitland and Salisbury . The Wicomico County State's Attorney is responsible for prosecuting the felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile cases occurring in the county. The current elected State's Attorney is Jamie Dykes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 400 square miles (1,000 km ), of which 374 square miles (970 km )

1512-461: Was $ 34,077 and the median family income was $ 41,917. Males had a median income of $ 29,014 and females $ 22,284. The per capita income was $ 18,929. 13.80% of the population and 10.10% of families were below the poverty line . 18.10% of those under the age of 18 and 14.20% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. At the 2010 United States Census , there were 32,618 people, 13,522 households and 8,894 families residing in

1554-751: Was $ 45,151 and the median family income was $ 56,662. Males had a median income of $ 40,814 and females $ 30,184. The per capita income was $ 25,139. About 9.5% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. In 2010, the racial makeup of the county was 66.16% Non-Hispanic whites, 27.70% blacks, 0.34% Native Americans, 0.92% Asians, 0.03% Pacific Islanders, 0.09% Non-Hispanics from some other race, 1.64% Non-Hispanics reporting two or more races and 3.64% Hispanic or Latino. The local newspapers are The Dorchester Banner and The Dorchester Star (a free, weekly publication). A regional newspaper, The Star Democrat , serves several counties on

1596-466: Was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 35.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 50,752 and the median income for a family was $ 62,150. Males had a median income of $ 42,408 versus $ 34,544 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 25,505. About 7.8% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. As of

1638-436: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86. 23.30% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.40 males. The median household income

1680-457: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 11.80% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.80 males. The median income for

1722-483: Was one of only two Maryland counties to vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964. During the following election, Dorchester was the only county in the state where the segregationist George Wallace outpolled either Nixon or Humphrey . In the late 20th century, white conservatives in the South shifted from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Since then the only Democratic presidential nominee to carry Dorchester County

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1764-702: Was southern native son Bill Clinton in 1996. The county has trended less conservative in recent years, with Democrat Barack Obama coming within five percentage points of beating Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election ; Obama won nationally. The county is policed by the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office (DSO), the Maryland State Police , and the DNR Police . The DSO is a full service agency, headed by Sheriff James W. Phillips Jr. since December 2002. According to

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