New Castle County, DE

County

Add Comparison

2021 Population

567,769

1.69% 1-year growth

US Senator

Tom Carper

Democratic Party

US Senator

Chris Coons

Democratic Party

US Representative

Lisa Blunt Rochester

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

38.8

0.258% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

10.6%

1.5% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$78,428

4.19% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$275,600

3.41% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

282,999

2.4% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, New Castle County, DE had a population of 568k people with a median age of 38.8 and a median household income of $78,428. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of New Castle County, DE grew from 558,306 to 567,769, a 1.69% increase and its median household income grew from $75,275 to $78,428, a 4.19% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in New Castle County, DE are White (Non-Hispanic) (55.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (24.7%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.75%), White (Hispanic) (5.32%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.03%).

None of the households in New Castle County, DE reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.5% of the residents in New Castle County, DE are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in New Castle County, DE are University of Delaware (6,312 degrees awarded in 2021), Wilmington University (3,857 degrees), and Dawn Career Institute LLC (130873) (483 degrees).

In 2021, the median property value in New Castle County, DE was $275,600, and the homeownership rate was 67.6%.

Most people in New Castle County, DE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.6 minutes. The average car ownership in New Castle County, DE was 2 cars per household.

New Castle County, DE borders Kent County, DE, Cecil County, MD, Kent County, MD, Gloucester County, NJ, Salem County, NJ, Chester County, PA, and Delaware County, PA.

About the photo: Nemours Mansion and Gardens

Photo by Peter Miller

United States Delaware Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Population & Diversity

New Castle County, DE is home to a population of 568k people, from which 94.5% are citizens. As of 2021, 11.7% of New Castle County, DE residents were born outside of the country (66.2k people).

In 2021, there were 2.25 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (315k people) in New Castle County, DE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 140k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 32.6k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.5%

2021 Citizenship

94.6%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 94.5% of New Castle County, DE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in New Castle County, DE was 94.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in New Castle County, DE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in New Castle County, DE

White (Non-Hispanic)
315k ± 992
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
140k ± 1.33k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
32.6k ± 555

10.5%

Hispanic Population

59.8k people

10.5% of the people in New Castle County, DE are hispanic (59.8k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in New Castle County, DE as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Delaware.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
14,392 ± 2,924 people
India
10,661 ± 2,521 people
China
6,095 ± 1,911 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Delaware was Mexico, the natal country of 14,392 Delaware residents, followed by India with 10,661 and China with 6,095.

Foreign-Born Population

11.7%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

66.2k people

11.5%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

64k people

As of 2021, 11.7% of New Castle County, DE residents (66.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in New Castle County, DE was 11.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in New Castle County, DE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
10,253 ± 751
Gulf War (2001-)
5,532 ± 675
Gulf War (1990s)
4,313 ± 533

New Castle County, DE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.85 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of New Castle County, DE employs 283k people. The largest industries in New Castle County, DE are Health Care & Social Assistance (42,077 people), Retail Trade (29,947 people), and Finance & Insurance (29,599 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($94,345), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($79,645), and Finance & Insurance ($72,953).

Males in Delaware have an average income that is 1.25 times higher than the average income of females, which is $59,775. The income inequality in Delaware (measured using the Gini index) is 0.465, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

283k

2021 Value

± 4,780

2.4%

1 Year growth

± 2.27%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in New Castle County, DE grew at a rate of 2.4%, from 276k employees to 283k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in New Castle County, DE, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (32,894 people), Management Occupations (31,920 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (24,189 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of New Castle County, DE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Delaware (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

283k

2021 Value

± 4,780

2.4%

1 Year growth

± 2.27%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in New Castle County, DE grew at a rate of 2.4%, from 276k employees to 283k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in New Castle County, DE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (42,077 people), Retail Trade (29,947 people), and Finance & Insurance (29,599 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of New Castle County, DE, though some of these residents may live in New Castle County, DE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$53,592

Median earning men ± $841

$41,378

Median earning women ± $885

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($84,173), Manufacturing ($76,009), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($72,134).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Manufacturing ($62,596), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,070), and Public Administration ($51,773).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Delaware. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Delaware.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

6,227
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
5,006
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
4,813
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$12.1M
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
$7.11M
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
$4.48M
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Delaware to other states, or from other states to Delaware.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Delaware product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $12.3B, followed by Mixed freight ($5.7B) and Plastics/rubber ($5.06B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Delaware products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Delaware.

$61.7B

2020 Value in Delaware

$143B

Projected 2050 Value in Delaware

132% growth

In 2020, total outbound Delaware trade was $61.7B. This is expected to increase 132% to $143B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Delaware trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Delaware to other states, or from other states to Delaware.

Most Common Trade Partners

Pennsylvania
$9.01B
New Jersey
$4.85B
Ohio
$4.34B

In 2020, the top outbound Delaware domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Pennsylvania with $9.01B, followed by New Jersey with $4.85B and Ohio and $4.34B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Delaware shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in New Castle County, DE went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 67.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (30.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.03%).

Tom Carper and Chris Coons are the senators currently representing the state of Delaware. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

New Castle County, DE is currently represented by Lisa Blunt Rochester in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (67.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (30.7%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.03%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in New Castle County, DE for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Delaware

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Delaware.

Tom Carper

Senator from Delaware

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Chris Coons

Senator from Delaware

Assumed office on November 15, 2010
Elected to the seat to succeed Ted Kaufman, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of Joe Biden, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Tom Carper and Chris Coons are the senators currently representing Delaware.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Delaware over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from New Castle County, DE

Lisa Blunt Rochester

Delaware at-large Representative

Democratic Party

New Castle County, DE is currently represented by Lisa Blunt Rochester (Democratic Party).

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the member for New Castle County, DE have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in New Castle County, DE awarded 11,475 degrees. The student population of New Castle County, DE in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 15,388 male students and 23,899 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in New Castle County, DE are White (6,770 and 65.3%), followed by Black or African American (1,556 and 15%), Hispanic or Latino (937 and 9.04%), and Asian (478 and 4.61%).

The largest universities in New Castle County, DE by number of degrees awarded are University of Delaware (6,312 and 55%), Wilmington University (3,857 and 33.6%), and Dawn Career Institute LLC (130873) (483 and 4.21%).

The most popular majors in New Castle County, DE are General Business Administration & Management (1,012 and 8.82%), Registered Nursing (601 and 5.24%), and General Finance (436 and 3.8%).

The median tuition costs in New Castle County, DE are $12,225 for private four year colleges, and $12,980 and $34,840 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2021 in New Castle County, DE, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 19.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 39,287 (39.2% men and 60.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2021 there were 39,287 students enrolled in New Castle County, DE, 39.2% men and 60.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 22,838 records, of which 61.6% were women and 38.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Finance
287 degree-majors awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
285 degree-majors awarded
Registered Nursing
599 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in New Castle County, DE was General Finance with 287 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in New Castle County, DE according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Delaware
6,312 degrees awarded
Wilmington University
3,857 degrees awarded
Dawn Career Institute LLC (130873)
483 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Delaware with 6,312 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2021, 4,199 men were awarded degrees from institutions in New Castle County, DE, which is 0.577 times less than the 7,276 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 6,770 degrees mean that there were 4.35 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,556 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($24,050) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,040) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($3,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Delaware.

Measure

In 2021, 0.564% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.617% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Delaware.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (240k), Some college (163k), and Bachelors Degree (141k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in New Castle County, DE was $275,600 in 2021, which is 1.13 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $266,500 to $275,600, a 3.41% increase. The homeownership rate in New Castle County, DE is 67.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in New Castle County, DE have an average commute time of 25.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in New Castle County, DE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in New Castle County, DE is $78,428. In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in New Castle County, DE was Census Tract 119 with a value of $222,829, followed by Census Tract 117 and Census Tract 135.06, with respective values of $167,917 and $159,179.

In 2022, 14.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in New Castle County, DE. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 0.798%.

Housing

Property

$275,600

Median Property Value 2021

±$3,097

$147,302

Median Property Taxes

±$3,127

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In New Castle County, DE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in New Castle County, DE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67.6%

Homeownership

2021

69.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 67.6% of the housing units in New Castle County, DE were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in New Castle County, DE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 119
Census Tract 117
Census Tract 135.06

In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in New Castle County, DE was Census Tract 119 with a value of $222,829, followed by Census Tract 117 and Census Tract 135.06, with respective values of $167,917 and $159,179.

The following map shows all of the tracts in New Castle County, DE colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$78,428

Median Household Income

± $1,622

218k

Number of Households

± 4,009

In 2021, the median household income of the 218k households in New Castle County, DE grew to $78,428 from the previous year's value of $75,275.

The following chart displays the households in New Castle County, DE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for New Castle County, DE is from Delaware.

0.465

2021 Wage GINI in Delaware

0.462

2020 Wage GINI in Delaware

In 2021, the income inequality in Delaware was 0.465 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.595% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Delaware was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Delaware in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Delaware across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (74.4%)
Worked At Home (11.2%)
Carpooled (7.79%)

In 2021, 74.4% of workers in New Castle County, DE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.2%) and those who carpooled to work (7.79%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in New Castle County, DE have a shorter commute time (25.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.36% of the workforce in New Castle County, DE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in New Castle County, DE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in New Castle County, DE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in New Castle County, DE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2022, 14.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in New Castle County, DE. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 0.798%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

10.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in New Castle County, DE (58.3k out of 550k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in New Castle County, DE is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2022, 13.9% of the children was living in poverty in New Castle County, DE. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 1.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 551 in New Castle County, DE. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 92.1 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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Health

94.8% of the population of New Castle County, DE has health coverage, with 54.8% on employee plans, 14.6% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 12.9% on non-group plans, and 0.864% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New Castle County, DE see 1087 patients per year on average, which represents a 3.03% decrease from the previous year (1121 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1738 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 274 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,087 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in New Castle County, DE

Primary care physicians in New Castle County, DE see an average of 1,087 patients per year. This represents a 3.03% decrease from the previous year (1,121 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in New Castle County, DE in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.5% under 18 years, 21.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.21%

Uninsured

54.8%

Employer Coverage

14.6%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

12.9%

Non-Group

0.864%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in New Castle County, DE grew by 1.32% from 5.14% to 5.21%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in New Castle County, DE changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2022, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 56 in New Castle County, DE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in New Castle County, DE.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 33% in New Castle County, DE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in New Castle County, DE.

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