| Somerset, Maryland | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Location of Somerset, Maryland | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Montgomery |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| • Land | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 295 ft (90 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,124 |
| • Density | 4,001.1/sq mi (1,544.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 20815 |
| Area code(s) | 301 |
| FIPS code | 24-73350 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0591314 |
Somerset is an incorporated town within Chevy Chase in Montgomery County, Maryland, near its border with Washington, D.C.. The population was 1,124 at the 2000 census. Somerset is not to be confused with Somerset County, Maryland, which has no relationship with the town; the two are about 150 miles apart.
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Somerset is located at (38.967110, -77.094824)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), all of it land.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,124 people, 406 households, and 326 families residing in the town. The population density was 4,001.0 people per square mile (1,549.9/km²). There were 419 housing units at an average density of 1,491.5 per square mile (577.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.04% White, 0.89% African American, 3.38% Asian, 0.89% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.94% of the population.
There were 406 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.1% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 16.5% from 25 to 44, 32.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $144,523, and the median income for a family was $149,057. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $80,762 for females. The per capita income for the town was $82,368. None of the families and 2.7% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Somerset's history dates back to 1890, when five government scientists purchased 50 acres (20 ha) parcel of tobacco farmland from the government for the purpose of setting up a residential community. This land was originally part of the Friendship Tract, a 1713 gift of 3,000 acres (12 km2) to a couple of early Maryland colonists which is now the basis for the nearby Friendship Heights area. Five early streets were arranged and remain to this day: Dorset, Warwick, Surrey, Cumberland, and Essex after the English counties. The first home in Somerset was occupied by Dr. Charles A. Crampton in 1893, and by 1905 there were 35 residences.
Despite being promoted as an area of "tranquility and refinement," the original Town was plagued by inadequate water drainage, a makeshift sewage system, and the absence of local fire protection and schools. These problems prompted the local citizens to petition the State of Maryland for incorporation into a township so that taxes could be levied to provide these basic services. The Charter was issued in 1906, forming the community of Somerset Heights and the surrounding areas into the Town of Somerset. The first Town Council was elected on May 7, 1906, and Dr. Crampton was elected as the first mayor.
In 1988, town residents voted in a referendum to de-annex a parcel of land containing three large apartment buildings under construction, to avoid having the town council and services shift from representing the single-family homeowners to becoming representative of a condo community. Residents of the Somerset House complex would have out-numbered the single-family home dwellers by 3-1. The complex was constructed on the last large undeveloped woodlot in Somerset, and construction had been blocked by legal challenges for over two decades. [3]
Montgomery County Public Schools serves Somerset.
Residents are zoned to:
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