Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Newark's standout: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C, ranked 24th of 37 in Delaware. The median household earns $77K and it has 14 miles of trail. Its weakest subject is schools: its public schools trail 79% of Delaware towns on state tests and graduation. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Newark, where Delaware’s towns sit at 8.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Its National Register listings include State Theater and England House and Mill. On hazard risk, just 2 of Delaware’s 54 towns do worse.
Where Newark beats most towns.
England House and Mill
Its 57 National Register listings are more than in 97% of Delaware towns with a listing.
Census counts: 787 in 1860, 30,601 in 2020. The archive holds 27 old photos and papers going back to 1806 and a map from 1984 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Delaware), ordered by how far Newark is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Newark. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw37 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw37 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
33 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 Newark, 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 Newark.
Newark has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Delaware and is shaped by its college students, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Delaware (mostly inland flooding).
Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Newark High School, with 1,039 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Park Place Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 350 | A |
| Newark Charter SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 3,109 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within DE on state tests and graduation
At 1.5 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 22 Delaware towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #2 of 37 in Delaware.
Newark’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile. Newark Resevoir Park, at 82 acres with 1.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 14 miles of trail in 31 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. William M. Redd, Jr. Park | 3 mi | 106 |
| 2. Newark Resevoir Park | 1.7 mi | 82 |
| 3. Rittenhouse Park | 1.7 mi | 58 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
26% of Newark adults have high blood pressure. Among 37 Delaware towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Newark. 30% of Newark adults have obesity.
| Newark | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.8% | 13% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 33% |
| What stands out | Newark | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.8% | 13.1% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.3% | 3.7% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.5% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The violent crime rate in Newark is 2.9 per 1,000 residents. Within Delaware, it does better than 52% of towns. The property crime rate in Newark is 17.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Newark | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.3 per 1,000 residents | 18.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of Delaware towns, with expected losses of about $378 per resident a year; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on.
Only 2 of the 37 Delaware towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Newark. Since 1978, 47 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newark.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Wilmington New Castle Co Ap weather station, 8 miles away, records that 20 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, the highest of 79 Delaware places with climate records. The Wilmington New Castle Co Ap weather station, 8 miles away, records that about 22 days a year reach 90°, the highest of 79 Delaware places with climate records.
Newark has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87° and January nights drop to 24°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 19,036 in 2013 to 12,943. The average commute for its 9,056 working residents takes 19 minutes, against 26 across Delaware.
Most working residents leave Newark for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Newark has lost 6,093 jobs, to 12,943 in 2023. Among 37 Delaware towns, just 1 have a lower average trip to work than Newark.
| Newark | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 19% | 15% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 4.5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
66.2% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 49.6% across Delaware. The median property tax bill is $3,023, against $1,768 across Delaware, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Newark home is worth about $364,000, up 0.8% in a year, 10% below the Delaware typical home. 51% of households own their home in Newark.
| Newark | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 70% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 66% | 47% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,654 a month | $1,424 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
6 within 15 miles of the center of Newark
College town 47 of every 100 Newark residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Delaware.
57 places in Newark on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Newark.
City in Delaware, United States
Newark ( NEW-ark) is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. Home to the University of Delaware, it is located 8 miles (13 km) west-southwest of Wilmington and 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Philadelphia. According to the 2020 census, the town's population is 30,601. It constitutes part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Newark.
Brookside reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Newark with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Newark grades C overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #24 of 37 in Delaware. It grades B+ for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Delaware, it does better than 52% of towns.
That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($91,289 across the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
12 notable people were born here, including Valarie Allman and Jack Markell.
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