Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Delaware City’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living, an A+ for the outdoors, and an A for history; its weakest is a C for schools. On cost of living, just 2 of Delaware State’s 54 towns do better. Delaware City is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns. 39% of the land in Delaware City is conserved, against 15% in Delaware State’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 1 of Delaware State’s 54 towns do better. Delaware City has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island and Chelsea. Delaware City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Delaware City beats most towns.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1864.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Delaware State), ordered by how far Delaware City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Delaware City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw35 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw35 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
30 mi Park & preserveSchuylkill RiverUSS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Schuylkill River: Emy111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Delaware City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Delaware City.
1.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Delaware City’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile, where Delaware State’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dragon Run Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Fort Delaware State Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Delaware City home is worth about $294,000, about the same as a year ago, 28% below the Delaware State typical home. Delaware City’s median rent is $1,511 a month.
| Delaware City | Delaware State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,511 a month | $1,438 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Delaware City has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 26° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Delaware City for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Delaware City has added 693 jobs, to 1,125 in 2023. The average trip to work in Delaware City is 28 minutes.
| Delaware City | Delaware State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 8.2% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 5.1% | 8% |
| Work from home | 12% | 15% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Delaware City beats the Delaware State average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 34% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Delaware City. Among 38 Delaware State towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Delaware City.
| Delaware City | Delaware State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 37% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 78% | 81% | 79% |
| What stands out | Delaware City | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.4% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Delaware City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
5 within 15 miles of the center of Delaware City
About 2 of every 100 Delaware City residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Delaware State.
Coastal flooding makes up 22% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
6 places in Delaware City on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Delaware City.
City in Delaware, United States
Delaware City is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,885 as of 2020. It is a small port town on the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is the location of the Forts Ferry Crossing to Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
7 notable people were born here, including John E. Rickards and Nicholas Van Dyke.
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