Damariscotta, Maine

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Damariscotta is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census. Damariscotta became a seperate town in 1847, having previously been parts of Bristol, Maine and Nobleboro, Maine.^[1]

Damariscotta is an old Abenaki word for "river of many fishes". The town's major claim to fame are the 2,500-year-old oyster shell middens (heaps) along the banks of the Damariscotta River, which is a tidal estuary of the Gulf of Maine. The Whaleback Shell Midden is a state historical site. The terminus of the river is the Great Salt Bay, which is the northernmost mating area for horseshoe crabs in North America.

The villages of Damariscotta and of Newcastle are linked by the Main Street bridge over the Damariscotta River, forming the "Twin Villages" (see Damariscotta-Newcastle CDP).

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.8 km² (14.6 mi²). 32.2 km² (12.4 mi²) of it is land and 5.6 km² (2.2 mi²) of it (14.87%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 2,041 people, 942 households, and 548 families residing in the town. The population density was 63.4/km² (164.4/mi²). There were 1,151 housing units at an average density of 35.8/km² (92.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.92% White, 0.20% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.

There were 942 households out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.65.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 30.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,188, and the median income for a family was $47,105. Males had a median income of $31,953 versus $23,064 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,146. About 6.7% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.