Queen Anne's County

History

Queen Anne's County has 265 miles of waterfront, much of that being the shores of Kent Island, which stands out from the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. From the waters of this county, watermen have harvested oysters, crabs, and terrapin. Migrating waterfowl overwinter here, and hunting for geese and ducks has been an important part of the county's history. The first Anglo-European settlement in Maryland was on Kent Island on August 21, 1631, and included twenty-five settlers in a manor house, a fort, and other buildings. The settlement was referred to as Winston's Island. The first houses were built similar to log cabins. The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places, but nothing remains of this original settlement. Stevensville, earlier known as Broad Creek, is one of the oldest towns still existing.

Queen Anne's County was organized under a sheriff in 1706, bounded by Talbot, Kent, and Dorchester counties. In 1713, Queen Anne's County became an English postal district; the sheriff was also appointed as the postmaster and would travel to Annapolis, Maryland by boat across the Chesapeake Bay to obtain mail. In 1773 a part of Queen Anne's County, together with a portion of Dorchester County, was taken to form Caroline County. The county now is enclosed by Talbot, Caroline, and Kent counties, as well as the Chesapeake Bay.

By the time of Independence, the county had several churches, a government, school, and a postal system. It was developed for agriculture, and enslaved African Americans worked the fields of plantations. Tobacco was an early commodity crop but it exhausted the soil. By the Revolution, some planters were converting to mixed agriculture, which was less labor-intensive. They sold excess slaves in the domestic trade to the developing cotton plantations of the Deep South.

In 1876, Queen Anne's County had the first printed independent paper called the Maryland Citizen. A bank was located in Centreville; the Centreville National Bank is still operating. A railway was constructed here in 1868; it operated from Baltimore, passing around the top of the Chesapeake Bay down to Queenstown, and connected with other railroads that continued east into Delaware as far as Rehoboth, and southward to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

In the 20th century, Queen Anne's County was the home of Jimmie Foxx, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. A statue and small park commemorate him in Sudlersville, where Foxx grew up.

Politics and government

Queen Anne's was historically the most strongly secessionist county in Maryland, dominated by the Democratic Party of the planters. Following the American Civil War, the predominately conservative white voters voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election from 1868 to 1948, though Herbert Hoover came within a point of defeating Al Smith in 1928 amidst great Southern resentment to Smith's Catholicism and opposition to Prohibition. Former general Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first Republican to carry the county in 1952.

Since the late 20th century, Queen Anne's white voters have largely shifted to the Republican Party, in a realignment that has taken place among conservative whites across the South following the tumultuous 1960s and passage of national civil rights legislation. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Queen Anne's County since Texan Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 landslide. Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1980 remains the last Democrat to obtain even forty percent of the county's vote, and he in 1976 was the last to come within ten points of winning the county.

Queen Anne's County was granted home rule in 1990 under a state code.

The county has a commission form of government. The commission consists of five commissioners: one at-large and four of whom must reside in the district they represent. All of the commissioners are elected by the general population. The at-large commissioner serves as president the first year following election. County code allows for rotation of the president position thereafter.

The current Board of Commissioners was elected in the 2022 election, and serves a four-year term. The current County Commissioners are J. Patrick McLaughlin (District 2), Christopher M. Corchiarino (District 4), Philip L. Dumenil (District 3), James J. Moran (at-large), and Jack N. Wilson Jr. (District 1). The current form of five commissioners elected at large started in 2002. Prior to the 2002 election, Queen Anne's County was run by three commissioners.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 511 square miles (1,320 km2), of which 372 square miles (960 km2) is land and 139 square miles (360 km2) (27%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Kent County (north)

Kent County, Delaware (east)

Talbot County (south)

Caroline County (southeast)

Anne Arundel County (west)

Major roads and highways

US 50

US 301

MD 8

MD 18

MD 19

MD 213

MD 290

MD 300

MD 302

MD 303

MD 304

MD 305

MD 309

MD 313

MD 404

MD 405

MD 456

MD 481

MD 544

MD 552

MD 656

MD 662

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 49,874. The median age was 44.7 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over. 41.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 59.0% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 84.8% White, 5.6% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.5% from some other race, and 5.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.1% of the population.

There were 19,240 households in the county, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,274 housing units, of which 9.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 82.6% were owner-occupied and 17.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 47,798 people, 18,016 households, and 13,314 families living in the county. The population density was 128.5 inhabitants per square mile (49.6/km2). There were 20,140 housing units at an average density of 54.2 per square mile (20.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.7% white, 6.9% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.9% were German, 22.4% were Irish, 15.8% were English, 6.2% were Italian, and 6.1% were American.

Of the 18,016 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.1% were non-families, and 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 42.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $81,096 and the median income for a family was $89,188. Males had a median income of $57,218 versus $43,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,964. About 3.8% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 40,563 people, 15,315 households, and 11,547 families living in the county. The population density was 109 people per square mile (42 people/km2). There were 16,674 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.05% White, 8.78% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.9% were of German, 15.1% American, 14.6% English, 14.2% Irish and 5.3% Italian ancestry.

There were 15,315 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 19.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,037, and the median income for a family was $63,713. Males had a median income of $44,644 versus $30,144 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,364. About 4.40% of families and 6.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.20% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Colleges and universities

Chesapeake College

Communities

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

Chester

Grasonville

Kent Narrows

Kingstown

Romancoke

Stevensville