Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 13,439.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hockessin grades A− overall, ranked 5th of 37 in Delaware. The median household earns $171K. It is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $609K for a typical one and 6.7 times the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income. 66% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Hockessin, above both Delaware’s towns (34%) and U.S. towns (29%). Of the 35 Delaware towns we compare, none has a higher median rent than Hockessin. Hockessin has 10 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Coffee Run Mission Site and Wooddale Historic District.
Where Hockessin beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Hockessin | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.4% | 12.7% |
Census counts: 10,051 in 1990, 13,478 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 7 maps from 1901 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Delaware), ordered by how far Hockessin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hockessin. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw30 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw30 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
6 mi GardenLongwood GardensUSS 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 · Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hockessin is unincorporated, so New Castle County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Hockessin.
Hockessin is among the three healthiest towns in Delaware and has colder winter nights than almost anywhere else in Delaware, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Delaware.
It ranks #3 of the 37 Delaware towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Delaware is tooth loss: 4.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.7% statewide.
26% of Hockessin adults have obesity. Among 37 Delaware towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Hockessin. 11% of Hockessin adults have diabetes.
| Hockessin | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 37% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Hockessin | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.4% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Red Clay Consolidated School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| duPont (H.B.) Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 764 | A− |
| Towle Institute PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 40 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within DE on state tests and graduation
At 6.7 years of the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income, the typical home (about $609K) costs more against local pay than in 89% of Delaware towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $4,425, against $1,768 across Delaware, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
90% of households own their home in Hockessin. The typical Hockessin home is worth about $609,000, up 4.4% in a year, 50% above the Delaware typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Of the 37 Delaware towns we compare, none has a higher median household income than Hockessin. Since 2013, Hockessin has added 736 jobs, to 3,895 in 2023. Among 37 Delaware towns, just 1 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Hockessin.
| Hockessin | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $171,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.5% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
5.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Auburn Valley State Park, at 120 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Swift Memorial Park | 0.5 mi | 31 |
| 2. Auburn Valley State Park | 0.3 mi | 120 |
| 3. Auburn Valley State Park Oversee Property | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 23.6°, the #2 lowest of 79 Delaware places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.4°.
Hockessin has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 37 Delaware towns, just 1 have a lower January low than Hockessin. About 12 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Hockessin | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 86°F | 87°F | 85°F |
| January low | 24°F | 25°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hockessin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
9 within 15 miles of the center of Hockessin
About 6 of every 100 Hockessin residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Delaware.
Where Hockessin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
10 places in Hockessin on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in Delaware, United States
Hockessin () is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 13,478 at the 2020 Census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Hockessin.
| Town | DE rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hockessin | #5 | A− | C− | — | B | A+ |
| North Star | #8 | B+ | C | — | B− | A+ |
| Pike Creek | #4 | A− | C | — | B | A |
Hockessin, North Star and Pike Creek report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Hockessin with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hockessin grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #5 of 37 in Delaware. It grades A+ for health and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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