3. POPULATION
Westport's Population Growth
As the century
opened in 1900, Westport had a population of 330 people, but a decline was
underway that persisted for about 30 years, leaving only 108 residents on the
island by 1930. With that figure, the
population had bottomed out, and it then remained at the level of about 125
persons through the Great Depression of the thirties, through World War II, and
on into the post-war years.
Beginning in
1960, Westport began a 40-year period of rapid population growth. The Town’s
population growth rate between 1960 and 1970 was 71%; from 1970-80 it was 84%,
and from 1980-90 it was 58%. Between
1960 and 1990, the Town’s population grew at a far greater rate than that of
Lincoln County, as shown in Table 1, below.
However, between 1990 and 2000, the Town’s growth rate (12%) was on a
par with that of Lincoln County (11%).
|
Table 1 Population of Westport and Lincoln County |
||||||
|
|
1890 |
1900 |
1910 |
1920 |
1930 |
1940 |
|
Westport |
451 |
330 |
284 |
165 |
108 |
111 |
|
Lincoln Co. |
21,996 |
19669 |
18216 |
15.976 |
15,398 |
16,294 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1950 |
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
|
Westport |
146 |
133 |
228 |
420 |
663 |
745 |
|
Lincoln Co. |
18,004 |
18,497 |
20,537 |
25,691 |
30,357 |
33,616 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Change 1960-70 |
Change 1970-80 |
Change 1980-90 |
Change 1990-2000 |
|
|
|
Westport |
71% |
84% |
58% |
12% |
|
|
|
Lincoln Co. |
11% |
25% |
18% |
11% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source:
U.S. Census, 1890-2000
Population Projections
County-level population projections contained in the State Planning Office’s Maine County Economic Forecast (December, 1999) indicate that Lincoln County’s population as a whole will grow at an average annual rate of 1.3% for the period 1998-2005, and 1.2% for the period 2005-2010. This translates into a 10-year growth rate of about 14.3% for the County, or an increase of about 4,800 people, resulting in a County population of about 38,400. While it is difficult to project exactly what will happen in Westport, it is reasonable to assume, based on 1990-2000 growth rates, that the Town will grow at about the same rate as the County. A 14.3% growth rate in Westport would result in a gain of about 107 people, resulting in a population in the year 2010 of about 852 people and 864 people by 2011. This is a conservative figure. The actual rate of growth may depend upon the economy, the growth of the seasonal and secondary home market, land availability and land development forces in nearby communities.
In January of 2002, the State Planning Office released population projections by age category for every community in the State. These projections show an overall rate of growth similar to that described in the paragraph above. These projections, which show declining numbers in age categories up to age 45, and increases in the categories beginning with 45-64 and above, are shown in Table 2 below.
|
Table 2 Population
Projections |
||||||||||||
|
Age Group |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
0-4 |
30 |
30 |
29 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
24 |
|
5-17 |
136 |
136 |
136 |
136 |
135 |
135 |
135 |
134 |
134 |
134 |
134 |
134 |
|
18-29 |
55 |
54 |
53 |
52 |
52 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
49 |
49 |
48 |
|
30-44 |
152 |
148 |
145 |
141 |
137 |
134 |
130 |
127 |
124 |
121 |
119 |
119 |
|
45-64 |
243 |
256 |
269 |
283 |
295 |
308 |
320 |
330 |
340 |
348 |
356 |
362 |
|
65-79 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
101 |
102 |
103 |
104 |
104 |
107 |
109 |
112 |
114 |
|
80+ |
30 |
32 |
34 |
37 |
39 |
41 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
80 |
51 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
746 |
756 |
766 |
778 |
787 |
797 |
807 |
814 |
826 |
814 |
845 |
852 |
Source: State
Planning Office
Population
Comparisons with Surrounding Areas
Some idea of the
magnitude of the population growth on Westport Island can be gained from Table
3, which gives figures for Westport, the surrounding towns, the County, and the
State. Westport's population growth from 1970 to 1980 reached an astonishing
84%, compared with 25% for Lincoln County, and 13% for the state as a whole.
During the next decade, for Westport, as for most of the surrounding area, the
rate of growth dropped off. But at 58%, Westport's was still the highest rate
of any in Lincoln County during the 80's.
Growth slowed even more during the 1990’s. While Westport had the
highest growth rate (12%), it was on a par with that of Edgecomb (10%) and
Lincoln County (11%).
|
Table 3 Comparative Population Change |
|||||||
|
|
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
% Change 1970-80 |
% Change 1980-90 |
% Change 1990-00 |
|
Westport |
228 |
420 |
663 |
745 |
84% |
58% |
12% |
|
Edgecomb |
549 |
841 |
993 |
1,090 |
53% |
18% |
10% |
|
Wiscasset |
2,244 |
2,832 |
3,339 |
3,603 |
26% |
18% |
8% |
|
Lincoln
Co. |
20,537 |
25,691 |
30,357 |
33,616 |
25% |
18% |
11% |
|
Maine |
993,722 |
1,125,043 |
1,227,928 |
1,274,923 |
13% |
9% |
4% |
Source: U.S.
Census, 1970-2000
Population by Age
Group
There are several trends in the size of the various age groups on Westport Island in the years since 1970, as shown in Table 4. One of the clearest is the steady decline in the percentage of children under 5, and an overall reduction in the percentage of children between the ages of 5 and 17. There has been a marked decline in the percentage of people aged 18 to 44 (from 40% in 1990 to 28% in 2000). Finally, there has been a gradual increase since 1970 in the numbers of residents in the 45-64 age group and in the 65 and older category. The same trends can be seen at the County level. Overall, Westport’s population is aging as indicated in the rise in the median age from 36.5 years in 1990 to 44.8 years in 2000.
|
Table 4Population by Age Categories
|
|||||||
|
|
|
Under 5 |
5-17 |
18-44 |
45-64 |
65 & Over |
Median Age |
|
Westport |
1970 |
10% |
27% |
33% |
20% |
10% |
|
|
|
1980 |
8% |
19% |
43% |
20% |
10% |
31.8 |
|
|
1990 |
8% |
16% |
40% |
22% |
14% |
36.5 |
|
|
2000 |
4% |
18% |
28% |
33% |
17% |
44.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lincoln County |
1970 |
8% |
25% |
29% |
23% |
16% |
|
|
|
1980 |
7% |
21% |
36% |
21% |
16% |
33.6 |
|
|
1990 |
7% |
18% |
37% |
21% |
17% |
37.4 |
|
|
2000 |
5% |
18% |
31% |
28% |
18% |
42.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S.
Census, 1970-2000
Average Household
Size
Since 1970, the size of the average Westport household has declined from 3.4 persons to 2.3 in 2000. This decline is consistent with the available data for Lincoln County. The decline may reflect the relative decrease in the population of very young children on the island in the Under 5 age group during the same period, as seen in Table 4.
|
Table 5 Households and Household Size |
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|
|
|
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
|
# households |
Westport |
67 |
158 |
265 |
318 |
|
|
Lincoln Co. |
|
9,494 |
11,968 |
14,158 |
|
|
Maine |
|
395,184 |
465,312 |
518,200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average hh Size |
Wesport |
3.4 |
2.7 |
2.5 |
2.3 |
|
|
Lincoln Co. |
3.0 |
2.7 |
2.5 |
2.4 |
|
|
Maine |
3.2 |
2.8 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Census
1970-2000
Household
& Per Capita Income
Based on data from
the 1990 Census, Westport had a high per capita income and a higher median
household income than Wiscasset, Edgecomb, Lincoln County or the State of
Maine.
|
Table 6 Median Household and Per capita Income - 1989 |
||
|
|
Per capita Income |
Median Household Income |
|
Westport |
$17,280 |
$33,500 |
|
Wiscasset |
$12,260 |
$29,397 |
|
Edgecomb |
$16,289 |
$32,670 |
|
Lincoln
Co |
$13,479 |
$28,373 |
|
Maine |
$12,957 |
$27,854 |
|
|
|
|
Source: 1990 Census
The State Planning Office has prepared county level estimates of per capita income as well as projections to the year 2010. These estimates and projections, which are contained in its Maine County Economic Forecast (December, 1999) indicate that Lincoln County’s per capita income figures are roughly on a par with those of the State as whole, but will increase at a slower rate than the State rate through the 2010 forecast period as shown in Table 7.
|
Table 7 Per Capita Personal Income |
||||
|
|
1997 |
2005 |
2010 |
Annual Average % Change 1997-2010 |
|
Lincoln County |
$23,985 |
$29,682 |
$34,184 |
2.8% |
|
Maine |
$21,937 |
$29,417 |
$35,652 |
3.8% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Maine
County Economic Forecast, Maine State Planning Office, 1999
Educational Attainment
Based on 1990 Census data, approximately
84.3% of the year-round population of Westport has graduated from high school,
compared to 81.4% at the County level and 78.8% at the State level. The
percentage of Westport residents with at least a bachelor’s degree (19.6%) is
somewhat higher than the State average (18.8%) but less than the average for
Lincoln County (22.2%).
|
Table 8 Educational
Attainment – 1990 |
|||
|
|
Total # of
Persons 25+ Years |
% High School
Grad or Higher |
% Bachelor’s
Degree or Higher |
|
Westport |
464 |
84.3% |
19.6% |
|
Lincoln County |
20,674 |
81.4% |
22.2% |
|
Maine |
795,613 |
78.8% |
18.8% |
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Census, 1990