Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011)

This article, the fortieth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Delaware based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, “places” are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 1,000.

Among the ten best places to live in Delaware, seven comprise Dover and its exurbs and suburbs, and three are suburbs of Wilmington. By county, four of the best places to live in Delaware are located in New Castle County, three in Kent County, and three in Sussex County.

After reading “Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011),” return to this link to read “Largest Cities in Delaware (2011).” A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read “Best Places to Live in America (2011).”

1. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Lewes, DE (Sussex County)

Population: 3,105

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $68,252
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 56.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 8.25

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 42 miles NNW
Ocean City, MD: 33 miles S

2. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Newark, DE (New Castle County)

Population: 30,230

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $51,011
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 52.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.77

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 44 miles SSE
Wilmington, DE: 14 miles NE
Philadelphia, PA: 43 miles NE

3. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Ocean View, DE (Sussex County)

Population: 1,655

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $80,811
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 42.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 15.67

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 59 miles NNW
Ocean City, MD: 16 miles S

4. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Middletown, DE (New Castle County)

Population: 11,053

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $67,062
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 27.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.03

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 26 miles SSE
Wilmington, DE: 27 miles NNE
Philadelphia, PA: 56 miles NNE

5. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Rehoboth Beach, DE (Sussex County)

Population: 1,264

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $64,464
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 58.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 18.79

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 46 miles NNW
Ocean City, MD: 27 miles S

6. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Camden, DE (Kent County)

Population: 2,452

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $64,224
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 30.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.87

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 4 miles NNE
Wilmington, DE: 54 miles N

7. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Bellefonte, DE (New Castle County)

Population: 1,134

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $52,224
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.6*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 51 miles S
Wilmington, DE: 3 miles SW
Philadelphia, PA: 26 miles NE

8. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Dover, DE (Kent County)

Population: 35,346

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $50,163
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.75

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Wilmington, DE: 51 miles N
Ocean City, MD: 70 miles SSE

9. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — New Castle, DE (New Castle County)

Population: 4,989

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $55,609
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 9.04

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 43 miles S
Wilmington, DE: 10 miles N
Philadelphia, PA: 35 miles N

10. Best Places to Live in Delaware (2011) — Wyoming, DE (Kent County)

Population: 1,223

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $57,047
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 21.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 9.01

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Dover, DE: 4 miles NNE
Ocean City, MD: 71 miles SSE

*In some cases, municipalities do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with the state or a county law enforcement agency. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from municipal, county, state, or contiguous municipality data.

The sources used in support of this article include the latest 1, 3, and 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report.

More Articles from J.C. Grant

“Average ACT Scores by State (2010)”
“Average SAT Scores by State (2010)”
“Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size (2011)”
“Most_Dangerous_Cities_in_America – Murder Rates”
State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School
“State Education Rankings: SAT Scores”

Source(s):

“All Cities in Delaware,” City-Data.com
“2009 ACS 1-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
Uniform Crime Report,” Federal Bureau of Investigation