Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Smyrna is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 31st of 37 in Delaware, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 57% of Delaware towns on state tests and graduation. Expect to pay for it: the typical home is worth about $404K, 5.4 years of the Dover metro’s $74K median household income. 19% of the land in Smyrna is conserved, against 14% in Delaware’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Belmont Hall and Duck Creek Village. Only 2 of the 37 Delaware towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Smyrna.
Where Smyrna beats most towns.
Belmont Hall
Louis McLane
Census counts: 1,873 in 1860, 12,883 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 5 maps from 1931 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Delaware), ordered by how far Smyrna is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smyrna, 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 Smyrna.
7,197 jobs are based in Smyrna, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 33.4 minutes, against 26 across Delaware.
On this, Smyrna is where Delaware’s towns sit at 8.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Most working residents leave Smyrna for work: only 13% work in town. Since 2013, Smyrna has added 581 jobs, to 7,197 in 2023.
| Smyrna | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 4.5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 15% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Smyrna School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Smyrna High School, with 1,777 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smyrna Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 1,011 | B− |
| Smyrna High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,777 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within DE on state tests and graduation
The violent crime rate in Smyrna is 5.4 per 1,000 residents. Within Delaware, it does better than 43% of towns. The property crime rate in Smyrna is 19.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Smyrna | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.4 per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.8 per 1,000 residents | 17.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.7 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Smyrna’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Smyrna Sports Park, at 29 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Smyrna Sports Park | — | 29 |
| 2. Smyrna Municipal Park | — | 22 |
| 3. Sunnyside Park | 0.2 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Smyrna has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 26° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smyrna.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Smyrna beats the Delaware average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 44% of Smyrna adults have obesity.
| Smyrna | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| What stands out | Smyrna | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.5% | 6.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.4% | 9.1% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 14.6% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Smyrna home is worth about $404,000, up 2.6% in a year, close to the Delaware typical home.
| Smyrna | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,534 a month | $1,424 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Smyrna
About 7 of every 100 Smyrna residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Delaware.
10,023 counted in 2010 and 12,883 in 2020; an estimated 13,340 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
11 places in Smyrna on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Smyrna.
Town in Delaware, United States
Smyrna is a town in Kent and New Castle counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. The section in Kent County is part of the Dover metropolitan statistical area while the portion in New Castle County is a part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2020, the population of the town is 12,883. The international jurist John Bassett Moore was born in Smyrna, as were politicians Louis McLane and James Williams.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Smyrna.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Smyrna grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #31 of 37 in Delaware. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Delaware, it does better than 43% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
17 notable people were born here, including Louis McLane and John Bassett Moore.
