Wilmington earns a D, 32nd of 37 graded towns in Delaware, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 98% of U.S. towns, including 846 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 84% of the country. One bright spot: it is among the most walkable places in the country. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 112 places on the National Register. Wilmington’s violent crime rate is 11.5 per 1,000 residents, against 3.5 in Delaware’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Fort Christina and Holy Trinity. Only 4 of Delaware’s 54 towns score lower on hazard risk.

StrongestA⁺History A⁺Walkability A⁻OutdoorsWeakestD⁻Safety C⁻Health CHazard risk CJobs & income

What makes Wilmington stand out

Where Wilmington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Fort Christina

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1638

A history going back 388 years.

WalkabilityA⁺

More walkable than 99% of U.S. towns

13.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Wilmington11.5

Delaware3.5

U.S.3.3

Worth knowing · SafetyD⁻

3.3 times the violent crime than DE

FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.

Fort Christina · National Register of Historic Places

Wilmington’s story

388 years in pictures

Fort Christina is one of 5 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1638, comes before those of 96% of the Delaware towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 5,268 in 1820, a peak of 112,504 in 1940, 70,898 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1638 and 3 maps from 1967 on.

112 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1638Wilmington is settled

Explore the history →

How Wilmington grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Delaware), ordered by how far Wilmington is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 15 of 20; 22.5% of households have no carA⁺Open →SafetyD⁻Open →HealthNemours Children's Hospital, Delaware 0 miles awayC⁻Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Jobs & income$59K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsC⁺Open →Cost of livingBOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors9 miles of trails; 5% conserved landA⁻Open →History42 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life10.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateCold winters, 87° summer afternoons, 20″ of snow–Open →Housing market45 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.0–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

USS New Jersey and 152 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wilmington. Close and well known come first.

All 209 attractions →

Big draw25 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey

Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field

Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena

Big draw25 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year

Big draw25 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary

in town LandmarkFort Christina

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

USS 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 · Fort Christina: Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Wilmington: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Wilmington, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerDelmarva Power18.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterWilmington Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wilmington’s trash rules yet

SchoolsColonial School District Red Clay Consolidated School District Christina School District3 districts serve Wilmington; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Delaware you can register online until 24 days before Election Day, in person until 24 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 24 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereDepartment of Elections - New Castle County OfficeNew Castle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2019

ZIP codes19802, 19805, 19801, 1980619802 33% · 19805 32% · 19801 21% · 19806 14%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Wilmington.

Wilmington gets more snow than almost anywhere else in Delaware, but it reports violent crime at 3 times the Delaware rate and carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Delaware (mostly inland flooding).

SafetyD⁻

Wilmington earns a D− for safety

Violent crime runs at 11.5 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Delaware rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. At 79.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 86% of Delaware’s graded towns.

The property crime rate in Wilmington is 28.8 per 1,000 residents. Wilmington reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 98% report less.

2%of U.S. towns report more crimeD⁻Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Wilmington11.5

Delaware3.5

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Wilmington28.8

Delaware15.9

U.S.15.5

2nd

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

14th

percentile among DE towns

846

violent crimes reported in 2025

2,127

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageWilmington’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type11.5 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Questions“Is Wilmington, DE safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

SchoolsC⁺

Wilmington’s schools rank behind 60% of Delaware districts

Three of its 34 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

40%of DE districts it outscoresC⁺School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
duPont (Pierre S.) Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	730	A⁻
Charter School of WilmingtonLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	977	A⁺
Calloway (Cab) School of the ArtsTop results in townGrades 6–12	Grades 6–12	941	A⁺

Full pageWilmington’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsRed Clay Consolidated School District Vs. the neighborsBehind its 2 graded neighbors Every school34 schools · First State Montessori Academy Questions“Are Wilmington’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within DE on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

About one in five working residents works right in Wilmington

47,595 jobs are based in Wilmington, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.

About one in 5 of Wilmington’s working residents works in town. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Wilmington. Since 2013, Wilmington has lost 3,378 jobs, to 47,595 in 2023.

21%work in town

	Wilmington	Delaware towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	21%	8.1%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	21%	4.5%	8%
Median household income	$59,000	$82,000	$80,000
Work from home	16%	15%	11%

Where working residents work

In Wilmington21%

New Castle5%

Philadelphia5%

Newark3%

Dover2%

6 mi

median commute distance

47,595

jobs based in Wilmington

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

A+

Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns

Full pageWilmington’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here47,595 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work21% work in Wilmington Commute times24 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 6 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

HealthC⁻

Wilmington stands out in Delaware and nationally: a larger share of its adults worry about having enough food

28% of Wilmington adults worry about having enough food. Wilmington beats the Delaware average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 16% of Wilmington adults have diabetes.

16%healthier than U.S. townsC⁻Health Grade

	Wilmington	Delaware towns	U.S. towns
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	28%	14%	14%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	16%	13%	12%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	34%	27%	25%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	25%	18%	19%

32 measures vs. Delaware

2 better13 too close to call17 worse

What stands out	Wilmington	DE
Fewer adults who have had cancer	6.3%	9.1%
Fewer adults with high cholesterol	37.2%	41.2%
More adults facing a utility shut-off	16%	7.4%

Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware

In Wilmington · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

6th

percentile among DE towns

Full pageWilmington’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearbyNemours Children's Hospital, Delaware How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than DE on 2 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsA⁻

4.6% of Wilmington is conserved land

8.8 miles of trail in 46 parks and preserves. Only 2 of the 34 Delaware towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Wilmington. Brandywine Park, at 170 acres with 2.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#13for trails in DE

	Wilmington	Delaware towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	4.6%	16%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.5 miles per square mile	0.4	0.4

4.6%

conserved · 498 of 10,945 acres

8.8 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Brandywine Park	2.2 mi	170
2. Cool Springs East Park	0.7 mi	6
3. Canby Park	0.6 mi	32

Full pageWilmington’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map8.8 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk2.2 miles of trail · Brandywine Park Conserved land4.6% conserved · 498 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Wilmington?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

In Wilmington, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

The Wilmington New Castle Co Ap weather station, 6 miles away, records that 20 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, the highest of 79 Delaware places with climate records.

Wilmington has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87° and January nights drop to 25°.

20″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter27–44°

Spring43–64°

Summer65–85°

Fall48–67°

Nov 1

typical first frost

Apr 7

typical last frost

+1.8°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageWilmington’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 25°Rain & snow20″ of snow a winter · 46 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C

Wilmington faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of Delaware towns, with expected losses of about $456 per resident a year; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on. 202 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 18 properties have flooded more than once.

Wilmington’s FEMA risk score is 67 of 100. Since 1978, 202 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wilmington.

67risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCoastal flooding

202

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageWilmington’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesHigh risk Flood claims202 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters7 federal disasters · Paid out in Wilmington Get ready6.6 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HousingCost of living grade B

Homes in Wilmington are worth about $327K, by Zillow’s estimate

The typical Wilmington home is worth about $327,000, up 1.6% in a year, 19% below the Delaware typical home. Only 3 of the 37 Delaware towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Wilmington.

$327KZillow home value

	Wilmington	Delaware towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	48%	70%	73%
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	52%	47%	48%
Median rent	$1,224 a month	$1,441 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Wilmington$327K

Delaware$405K

Market temperature

days on market

97.4%

sale-to-list price

+1.6%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageWilmington’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 1.6% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 5.6 years of income Rents$1,224 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of all 2 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Who lives here

Younger than Delaware overall

21.4% of residents live below the poverty line, against 10.4% across Delaware, which weighs on its C for jobs and income. Only 48% of households own their home, against 73% across Delaware.

Wilmington has grown 3.7% since 2020, to 73,512 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Delaware.

37median age · DE 41.6

	Wilmington	Delaware towns	U.S. towns
Median age	37 years	40.8 years	40.5 years
Aged 65 or older	16%	19%	18%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	33%	35%	29%
Under 18	21%	20%	22%

WilmingtonDelawareUnited States

DEU.S.

Ages · share of residents

18%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma12%

High school30%

Some college19%

Associate’s6%

Bachelor’s17%

Graduate16%

Women and men · all residents

53% women, 47% men

About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.6 points). Across Delaware, 51.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.3, men 35.5.

Ages and education in Wilmington
	Wilmington	DE	U.S.
Under 10	10.9%	11%	11.6%
10 to 17	10.1%	9.7%	10.3%
18 to 24	8.6%	8.5%	9.1%
25 to 34	17.7%	12.6%	13.7%
35 to 44	13.6%	12.2%	13.2%
45 to 54	10.8%	11.4%	12.2%
55 to 64	12.9%	14%	12.7%
65 to 74	9.7%	12.5%	10.2%
75 and older	5.7%	8.1%	7%
No diploma	12%	8.3%	10.4%
High school	29.9%	28.8%	26%
Some college	18.8%	18.8%	19.1%
Associate’s	6.3%	8.3%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	17.2%	20.4%	21.6%
Graduate	15.9%	15.3%	14.1%

Full pageWilmington by the numbersOpen the page

Ages37 median age · 15% are 65 or older Schooling33% have a four-year degree Homes48% own their home · Homeowners Income$59K a year · Median household income

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Wilmington

20pages on Wilmington

The big questions

SchoolsC⁺Behind 60% of DE districts · 34 schools SafetyD⁻11.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC⁻Better than DE on 2 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingB$327K typical home · up 1.6% in a year Work & commuteC$59K median household income · 47,595 jobs here Natural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 67% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁻9 mi of trails · 5% conserved land PlacesAttractions209 nearby · Fort Christina under 1 mi LibraryBWilmington Institute Library CollegesStrayer University-Delaware, in town

The story

HistoryA⁺Settled 1638 · 112 on the National Register Famous people42 born in Wilmington Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 69 residents Climate87° summer highs · 20″ of snow

Day to day

News11 recent stories about Wilmington WeatherHandbookZIP code 19801, 19802, 19803 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

12 within 15 miles of the center of Wilmington

Strayer University-DelawareUniversity or college · Private for-profit · WilmingtonIn town$13,920 tuition Salem Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Carneys Point, NJ4.2 mi$6,360 in-state tuition University of DelawareUniversity or college · Public · Newark12.4 mi$16,810 in-state tuition

About 5 of every 100 Wilmington residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Delaware.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A job hub

Every workday, about 41,415 people come to Wilmington for work

Where Wilmington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

47,595jobs based in Wilmington

21%of working residents work in town

6 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Landmarks

112 places in Wilmington on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Fort ChristinaBuilt 1638 · National Historic Landmark

Holy TrinityBuilt 1698 · National Historic Landmark

Eleutherian MillsNational Historic Landmark

Lombardy HallNational Historic Landmark

Famous people from Wilmington

42 notable people were born in Wilmington.

See all 42 →

Elisabeth ShueAmerican actress · born 1963

Aubrey PlazaAmerican actress, producer and comedian · born 1984

Daniel NathansAmerican microbiologist · 1928–1999

Krišjānis KariņšLatvian politician · born 1964

Hunter BidenAmerican businessman and lobbyist · born 1970

Beau BidenAmerican politician and lawyer · 1969–2015

About Wilmington

Largest city in Delaware, United States

Official town website ↗

Wilmington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It lies at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. The population was 70,898 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. First settled by Swedish settlers in 1638, the modern city of Wilmington was built on the site of Fort Christina, which was the first Swedish settlement in North America, and Kristinehamn, which was planned to be the capital of New Sweden. Control of the area shifted before it was formally incorporated as the Village of Willingtown in 1731, then …

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1638
Area: 17 sq mi
Elevation: 92 ft
ZIP code: 19801, 19802, 19803
Area code: 302

Wilmington’s neighbors

5 towns share a border with Wilmington.

Explore the map →

Carneys Point TownshipPenns GrovePennsville TownshipEdgemoorElsmereWilmington

Carneys Point Township

Visit

Penns Grove

Visit

Pennsville Township

Visit

Edgemoor

NE · 1% of Wilmington workers commute here

Visit

Elsmere

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	DE rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Wilmington	#32	D	B	D⁻	C⁺	C⁻
Edgemoor	#11	B⁺	B⁻	—	B	B
Elsmere	#22	C⁺	B	C⁺	B	C

Edgemoor reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Wilmington with a neighbor →

Questions about Wilmington

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Wilmington, DE a good place to live?

Wilmington grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #32 of 37 in Delaware. It grades C− for health, D− for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Wilmington, DE expensive?

That is 3.6 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 B.

What is Wilmington, DE known for?

42 notable people were born here, including Elisabeth Shue and Aubrey Plaza.

Post to Wilmington

Check your email

WilmingtonDE

Is Wilmington a good place to live?

What makes Wilmington stand out

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

388 years in pictures

How Wilmington grades

USS New Jersey and 152 more within 40 miles

Moving to Wilmington: who provides what

The data

Wilmington earns a D− for safety

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Wilmington’s schools rank behind 60% of Delaware districts

About one in five working residents works right in Wilmington

Where working residents work

Wilmington stands out in Delaware and nationally: a larger share of its adults worry about having enough food

4.6% of Wilmington is conserved land

In Wilmington, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Typical low → high °F

Wilmington faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Homes in Wilmington are worth about $327K, by Zillow’s estimate

Typical home value

Younger than Delaware overall

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

Women and men · all residents

Everything we know about Wilmington

Colleges nearby

Every workday, about 41,415 people come to Wilmington for work

Landmarks

Famous people from Wilmington

About Wilmington

Wilmington’s neighbors

Questions about Wilmington