Population 3,802 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown
Household size in Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.04 | 2.47 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.18 | 2.48 | 2.68 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.21 | 2.50 | 2.65 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.45 | 2.57 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.24 | −0.01 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Downtown is a place of small households, averaging 2.28 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.04 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.8 | 40.6 | 38.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.2 | 40.7 | 39.3 | 40.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.6 | 41.4 | 40.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.5 | 42.4 | 40.4 | 43.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −6.3 | +1.8 | +1.9 | +3.6 | +2.3 |
Downtown is young: half of its residents are under 33.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Downtown has the youngest population of any Wilmington neighborhood.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.3% | 15.0% | 12.2% | 12.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.0% | 14.2% | 11.8% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 12.9% | 11.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 30.1% | 14.9% | 12.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Downtown: 30.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. No other Wilmington neighborhood has a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Downtown
Renters in Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.0% | 32.1% | 30.2% | 26.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 83.2% | 34.1% | 32.1% | 28.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 80.0% | 36.0% | 32.7% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 72.5% | 33.8% | 33.2% | 27.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.5 pts | +1.7 pts | +3.0 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown: 72.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 42.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Downtown has the highest share of renters of any Wilmington neighborhood.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 10.7% | 9.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.8% | 10.4% | 9.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.5% | 10.2% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.5% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.2 pts | −3.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Downtown: 21.5% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Downtown has the highest vacancy rate of any Wilmington neighborhood.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1958 | 1964 | 1979 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1959 | 1965 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1951 | 1960 | 1965 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1961 | 1968 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +4 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Downtown is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1953, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $696 | $1,014 | $1,049 | $1,037 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $763 | $1,070 | $1,147 | $1,109 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $716 | $1,211 | $1,281 | $1,228 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,074 | $1,498 | $1,631 | $1,514 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$378 | +$484 | +$582 | +$477 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Downtown costs $1,074 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 27.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Downtown has the lowest rents of any Wilmington neighborhood.
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 Downtown
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 33.4% | 32.7% | 27.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 35.4% | 34.4% | 29.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 36.9% | 37.9% | 31.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.1% | 40.4% | 42.3% | 35.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +9.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Downtown: 20.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Only two of Wilmington's 13 neighborhoods have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.6% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 87.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.8% | 88.6% | 88.9% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.9% | 90.5% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.2% | 91.4% | 91.9% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Downtown never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Downtown has a lower share of high school graduates than most Wilmington neighborhoods.
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 Downtown
| Period | Downtown | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 8.0% | 8.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 9.1% | 10.2% | 8.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 5.1% | 6.1% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.9 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Downtown: 8.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only two of Wilmington's 13 neighborhoods have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Downtown compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown | 2.28 | 33.5 | 30.1% | 72.5% | 21.5% | 1953 | $1,074 | 20.1% | 86.2% | 8.9% |
| Cool Springs | 1.83 | 48.4 | 12.9% | 60.0% | 15.9% | 1952 | $1,280 | 39.9% | 86.4% | 5.7% |
| Brandywine Village | 2.36 | 37.0 | 14.3% | 54.5% | 11.4% | 1962 | $1,086 | 29.6% | 90.2% | 12.6% |
| Browntown | 1.99 | 33.9 | 27.8% | 49.7% | 7.3% | 1998 | $1,431 | 44.7% | 94.9% | 4.4% |
| Hilltop | 2.62 | 37.1 | 22.5% | 49.8% | 10.0% | 1942 | $1,282 | 25.6% | 85.7% | 8.0% |
| Baynard Village | 2.27 | 42.8 | 16.1% | 52.1% | 8.2% | 1939 | $1,330 | 34.5% | 85.8% | 4.6% |
| Hedgeville | 2.94 | 34.7 | 28.1% | 44.1% | 9.4% | 1944 | $1,302 | 18.7% | 80.1% | 2.9% |
| 9th Ward | 2.84 | 34.1 | 21.4% | 62.4% | 10.1% | 1956 | $1,230 | 21.4% | 91.4% | 7.9% |
| The Flats | 2.32 | 40.5 | 26.2% | 52.6% | 11.7% | 1947 | $1,190 | 17.1% | 87.7% | 10.3% |
| Northwest Wilmington | 2.13 | 47.2 | 17.0% | 40.4% | 4.9% | 1954 | $1,296 | 38.3% | 96.5% | 4.2% |
| Highlands | 1.80 | 49.1 | 3.4% | 22.5% | 5.3% | 1955 | $1,780 | 76.8% | 98.7% | 0.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Berkeley Hills, Emporia, KS · Wachter's, Bismarck, ND · Circleville Historic District, Circleville, OH · Riverside-Everett, Everett, WA · North Park Riverside, San Bernardino, CA · Celina Main Street Historic District, Celina, OH · Eastland Park-Dixie Plantation, Lexington, KY · Tampa International Airport Area, Tampa, FL · Perrysburg Historic District, Perrysburg, OH · Jungle Terrace, St. Petersburg, FL
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 Downtown. 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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