Talbot County, Maryland
Talbot County is a county located in the U.S. State of Maryland. As of 2000, the population is 33,812. It was named for the sister of Cecil Calvert, the second Baron of Baltimore, Lady Grace Talbot, wife of Sir Robert Talbot, Irish statesman. Its county seat is Easton.
History
The origin of Talbot County is not known but it definitely existed by February 12, 1661/62, when a writ was issued to its sheriff.
Law and Government
Talbot County was granted a charter form of government in 1973.
Geography
Talbot County contains five municipalities, all classified as towns under Maryland law:
- Easton (incorporated 1970)
- Oxford (incorporated 1852)
- Queen Anne (incorporated 1953) (This town is partly in Talbot County and partly in Queen Anne's County.)
- Saint Michaels (incorporated 1804)
- Trappe (incorporated 1827)
Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people, but they lack local government. The United States Census Bureau recognizes the following Census-Designated Places in Talbot County:
- Cordova
- Tilghman Island
Other entities, such as the United States Postal Service, use a different selection of local place names. In all these cases, since the places are unincorporated, the boundaries are determined by the classifying authority.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,235 km² (477 mi²). 697 km² (269 mi²) of it is land and 538 km² (208 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 43.55% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 33,812 people, 14,307 households, and 9,628 families residing in the county. The population density is 49/km² (126/mi²). There are 16,500 housing units at an average density of 24/km² (61/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 81.98% White, 15.36% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 1.82% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 14,307 households out of which 26.40% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% are married couples living together, 9.80% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% are non-families. 27.80% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.00% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.82.
In the county the population is spread out with 21.70% under the age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 27.20% from 45 to 64, and 20.40% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 91.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $43,532, and the median income for a family is $53,214. Males have a median income of $33,757 versus $26,871 for females. The per capita income for the county is $28,164. 8.30% of the population and 5.30% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 10.50% are under the age of 18 and 7.90% are 65 or older.