Rockport

Rockport is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,644 at the 2020 census. The town is a popular tourist destination and art colony. Rockport was the home of Andre the Seal, a seal adopted by the Goodridge family in 1961, and who was a significant tourist attraction in Rockport Harbor until his death in 1986. Forbes magazine placed Rockport at the top of its list of the prettiest towns in America in 2008. The 1993 Warner Bros. film The Man Without a Face, starring Mel Gibson, Universal's 1995 film Casper and Miramax's 2001 film In the Bedroom were filmed in the town. The Belted Galloways are one of the area's most popular attractions, and are often referred to as the "Oreo cookie" cows. RockPort is located beside Penobscot Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.34 square miles (86.35 km²), of which, 21.64square miles (56.05 km²) of it is land and 11.70 square miles [30.30 km²] is water. It is crossed by U.S. Route 1 and state routes 17 and 90. It borders the towns of Rockland to the south, Warren to the southwest, Union to the west, Hope to the northwest, and Camden to the north. In 1852, the citizens of Goose River voted to change their village's name to Rockport for its rocky terrain. On February 25, 1891, Rockport officially split from Camden.

History

Rockport, or "the River", was settled in 1769 by Robert Thorndike. In 1852, the citizens of Goose River voted to change their village's name to Rockport for its rocky terrain. Rockport was the home of Andre the Seal, a seal adopted by the Goodridge family in 1961, and who was a significant tourist attraction in Rockport Harbor until his death in 1986. In 2008, Forbes magazine placed Rockport at the top of its list of the prettiest towns in America. The Belted Galloways remain one of the area's most popular attractions, and are often referred to as the "Oreo cookie" cows. The 1993 Warner Bros. film The Man Without a Face, starring Mel Gibson, Universal's 1995 film Casper and Miramax's 2001 film In the Bedroom were filmed in Rock port. The 1994 film Andre was adapted from the book, although in the movie Andre is actually played by a sea lion, not a seal. A statue of Andre sits beside the harbor in his honor. The Rockport Opera House is located on the eastern shore of the harbor. The town is home to the Bay Chamber Concerts and the Curtis Institute of Music, both of which were founded in the 1960s. The Opera House was named in honor of violinist Lea Luboshutz and her mother Mary Louise Curtis Bok, who was one of Rockport's largest landowners. Mary Lea Park, adjacent to the Opera House, is named for both her and Rockport resident and violinist and violist Mary Louise Bok. The Aldermere Farm is owned and operated by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide land conservation organization.

Geography

Rockport is located beside Penobscot Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The town is crossed by U.S. Route 1 and state routes 17 and 90. It borders the towns of Rockland to the south, Warren to the southwest, Union to the west, Hope to the northwest, and Camden to the north. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rockport has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. It has a warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. It is located on the Maine Turnpike, which runs through the town. The turnpike is one of the busiest roads in the state, running from Maine to New Hampshire. It also runs through Maine's largest county, Waldo County, which has a population of more than 100,000. Rockport is home to the Maine Maritime Museum, which is located in the town of Rockport. The museum is open to the public and has a collection of historic buildings, including a 19th-century lighthouse. It was built in the early 1800s and is located at the junction of Varnah Brook and Goose River, near the mouth of the Goose River River. The city's name is derived from the word "Rockport" which means "town" or "port" in Old English. The name of the town is also used as a nickname for the town, as well as the name of a nearby village.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,330 people, 1,422 households, and 967 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 97.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0,5% Native American,0.4% Asian, and 1.2% from two or more races. There were 1,956 housing units at an average density of 90.4 per square mile (34.9/km²) The median income for a household in theTown was $47,155, and the median for a family was $56,068. The per capita income for the Town was $25,498. About 5.4%. of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2%. of those under 18 and 7,3% of those 65 or over. The town is located on the U.S. Geological Survey map of New Hampshire, which shows the topography of the state. The U.N. Census Bureau estimates that the town has a population of 3,400, with 1,400 of those living under the age of 18. The average household size is 2.34. The median age in the Town is 48.8 years, with 23.5% under 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 25.3%. from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.3! from 65 or older. In the town, the median age is 43.7 years.

Sites of interest

Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Bay Chamber Concerts are among the sites of interest. Maine Media Workshops and the Rockport Opera House are also important sites for Maine residents to visit. The Maine State Museum is located in the town of Rockport, Maine. The State Museum's collection includes more than 1,000 pieces of art, including works by Maine artists. The Museum's permanent collection includes the Maine State Opera House, which was built in 1875. The museum's collection also includes pieces by Maine residents from the 19th and 20th centuries. It is the largest collection of its kind in the state, with more than 2,000 works of art in total.

Education

Maine School Administrative District 28 operates K8 schools. Camden Hills Regional High School is a regional high school in Maine. The school district also operates a middle school and a high school. The district is part of Maine's K-8 school district, K-12 school district and K-14 school district. It is also part of the K8 School District of Maine, which has its own high school and middle school. K8 school students are required to attend classes at a local middle school or high school, as well as a local high school or middle school, to be eligible for state and federal funding. The state school district operates two high schools and one middle school; the district also runs a middle and high school; and the district's high school is open to all students, regardless of grade level. It also operates an elementary school and an alternative high school for students in need of extra-curricular and extracurricular activities. It operates a K8 middle school as well. It has a high-school and a magnet school for special education students. It runs K8 and magnet schools for students with special needs, including special needs students. In addition to K8, the district operates K-11 schools and a K-13 school for the mentally ill and a charter school for high school students. K-16 schools for the chronically ill and the disabled. It's also open to students with disabilities. It offers a special education program for those who have been diagnosed with learning difficulties.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Rockport, Knox County, Maine = 72.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 70. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 50. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Rockport = 2.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 3,644 individuals with a median age of 46.1 age the population grows by 9.82% in Rockport, Knox County, Maine population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 168 residents per square mile of area (65.0/km²). There are average 2.25 people per household in the 1,564 households with an average household income of $65,986 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.00% of the available work force and has dropped -6.69% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.62%. The number of physicians in Rockport per 100,000 population = 274.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Rockport = 49.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 52.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 111. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 200. 76 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 9.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 62, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Rockport, Knox County, Maine which are owned by the occupant = 64.84%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 31 years with median home cost = $248,090 and home appreciation of -3.17%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $12.80 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,923 per student. There are 9.8 students for each teacher in the school, 199 students for each Librarian and 210 students for each Counselor. 8.56% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 24.70% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 17.66% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).