Population 579,222 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Delaware County
Household size in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.64 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.68 | 2.68 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.67 | 2.65 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.67 | 2.57 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Delaware County average 2.67 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in the Philadelphia area as a whole, where it has 2.57 people. Household size has crept up from 2.63 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only two of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 38.5 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.7 | 39.3 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.3 | 40.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 40.4 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.4 | +1.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 40.5, the median age in Delaware County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.0, as it has nationally. Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, only three are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 12.2% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 11.8% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 11.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 12.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −0.1 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Delaware County (11.5%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Delaware County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Pennsylvania counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Delaware County
Renters in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.2% | 30.2% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.1% | 32.1% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 32.7% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.4% | 33.2% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +3.0 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Delaware County rent their homes (30.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly four in ten owners (37.8%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the center. The renter share is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 9.2% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 9.0% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 6.9% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Delaware County than nationally: 6.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has fallen 1.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Delaware County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Pennsylvania counties.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1964 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1957 | 1965 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1958 | 1965 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1968 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Delaware County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1959, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the northeast. Delaware County has older homes than at least four in five Pennsylvania counties.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,051 | $1,049 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,125 | $1,147 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,235 | $1,281 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,576 | $1,631 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$525 | +$582 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in Delaware County pays $1,576 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $525 a month since 2006–10, up 50%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 34.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Delaware County
Bachelor's degrees in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.3% | 32.7% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.0% | 34.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.7% | 37.9% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.4% | 42.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +9.6 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in Delaware County (42.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 7.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Few Pennsylvania counties have a higher share of college graduates: only five of 67.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 87.5% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 88.9% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.1% | 90.5% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.4% | 91.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Delaware County is above the national rate: 93.4% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.9 points, mirroring the country. Delaware County has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Pennsylvania counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Delaware County
| Period | Delaware County | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 8.4% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 10.2% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 6.3% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 6.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Delaware County: 6.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, only four have higher unemployment. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Delaware County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | 2.67 | 40.5 | 11.5% | 30.4% | 6.5% | 1959 | $1,576 | 42.4% | 93.4% | 6.8% |
| Philadelphia County | 2.39 | 36.6 | 17.4% | 48.2% | 10.2% | 1953 | $1,433 | 35.0% | 87.3% | 8.7% |
| Camden County | 2.67 | 39.7 | 14.7% | 35.3% | 6.3% | 1966 | $1,573 | 35.9% | 89.2% | 7.0% |
| Chester County | 2.68 | 42.0 | 7.4% | 24.9% | 4.8% | 1983 | $1,842 | 57.9% | 94.2% | 3.7% |
| Burlington County | 2.67 | 42.4 | 9.7% | 23.9% | 6.2% | 1977 | $1,826 | 43.2% | 94.3% | 5.4% |
| Lancaster County | 2.63 | 40.6 | 8.8% | 30.2% | 4.4% | 1975 | $1,407 | 32.3% | 87.2% | 3.4% |
| Ocean County | 3.25 | 40.1 | 8.2% | 19.3% | 10.6% | 1985 | $1,854 | 34.8% | 92.9% | 5.5% |
| York County | 2.56 | 42.2 | 11.4% | 23.7% | 5.9% | 1976 | $1,277 | 27.8% | 92.0% | 4.6% |
| Adams County | 2.53 | 44.1 | 8.8% | 21.1% | 6.7% | 1979 | $1,200 | 25.5% | 91.4% | 3.4% |
| Franklin County | 2.52 | 42.5 | 10.4% | 26.5% | 6.9% | 1977 | $1,149 | 24.5% | 91.1% | 3.9% |
| Fulton County | 2.29 | 47.0 | 8.5% | 22.4% | 11.4% | 1976 | $821 | 17.7% | 89.3% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Anne Arundel County, MD · Dane County, WI · Sonoma County, CA · Lancaster County, PA · Monmouth County, NJ · Ada County, ID · New Castle County, DE · Ocean County, NJ · Pasco County, FL · Passaic County, NJ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Delaware County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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