Aroostook County, Maine

Aroostook County (known as the County) is a located in the  of. In 2000, its population was 73,938. It is the largest in the state. Its is. In land area, Aroostook County is the largest U.S. county east of the. Among residents of Maine, it is often referred to simply as "the County."

Aroostook County is known for its potato crops, as well as its culture. In the northernmost region of the county, which borders, , a majority of residents are bilingual. In some communities, it is difficult to find employment for those who do not speak both and. Employers such as pharmacies, hospitals, banks, and post offices encounter this most frequently.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 17,686 (6,829 ). 17,279 km² (6,672 sq mi) of it is land and 407 km² (157 sq mi) of it (2.30%) is water. Aroostook County is about the size of and  combined.

Adjacent U.S. counties

 * - southeast
 * - south
 * - south
 * - southwest

Adjacent regional county municipalities

 * - west
 * - west
 * - northwest
 * - north

Adjacent Canadian counties

 * - northeast
 * - east
 * - east
 * - southeast

Cities, towns, and plantations






Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 73,938 people, 30,356 households, and 20,429 families residing in the county. The was 4/km² (11/sq mi). There were 38,719 housing units at an average density of 2/km² (6/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 96.80%, 0.38% or , 1.36% , 0.47% , 0.03% , 0.17% from , and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population were or  of any race. 22.6% were of, 15.4% or American, 14.6% , 14.3%  and 10.2%  ancestry. According to the, 22.37% of the population speak at home. 

There were 30,356 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,837, and the median income for a family was $36,044. Males had a median income of $29,747 versus $20,300 for females. The for the county was $15,033. About 9.80% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.

History
Some of the territory in this county was part of the land dispute that led to the "."