Population 2,694 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in The Flats
Household size in The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.70 | 2.47 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.85 | 2.48 | 2.68 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.50 | 2.65 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.45 | 2.57 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.38 | −0.01 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The Flats is a place of small households, averaging 2.32 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.70, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0 | 40.6 | 38.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.1 | 40.7 | 39.3 | 40.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.7 | 41.4 | 40.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 42.4 | 40.4 | 43.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.5 | +1.8 | +1.9 | +3.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.5, the median age in The Flats is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in Wilmington as a whole, where the median age is 42.4.
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 The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9% | 15.0% | 12.2% | 12.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 14.2% | 11.8% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 12.9% | 11.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 26.2% | 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 The Flats: 26.2% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Compared with other Wilmington neighborhoods, The Flats has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 The Flats
Renters in The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 67.4% | 32.1% | 30.2% | 26.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 76.8% | 34.1% | 32.1% | 28.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 66.9% | 36.0% | 32.7% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 52.6% | 33.8% | 33.2% | 27.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −14.9 pts | +1.7 pts | +3.0 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in The Flats: 52.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 25.9% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%.
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 The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 10.7% | 9.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 10.4% | 9.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 10.2% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.2 pts | −3.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in The Flats than nationally: 11.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Of Wilmington's 13 neighborhoods, only two have a higher vacancy rate.
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 The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1958 | 1964 | 1979 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1959 | 1965 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1960 | 1965 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1947 | 1961 | 1968 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +4 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in The Flats is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1947, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Compared with other Wilmington neighborhoods, The Flats has older homes than most.
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 The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $858 | $1,014 | $1,049 | $1,037 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,002 | $1,070 | $1,147 | $1,109 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,053 | $1,211 | $1,281 | $1,228 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,190 | $1,498 | $1,631 | $1,514 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$332 | +$484 | +$582 | +$477 | +$606 |
The median renter in The Flats pays $1,190 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 36.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Only two of Wilmington's 13 neighborhoods have lower rents.
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 The Flats
Bachelor's degrees in The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.3% | 33.4% | 32.7% | 27.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 35.4% | 34.4% | 29.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 36.9% | 37.9% | 31.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 40.4% | 42.3% | 35.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +7.0 pts | +9.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in The Flats: 17.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. No other Wilmington neighborhood has 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 The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.0% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 87.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.6% | 88.6% | 88.9% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.5% | 90.9% | 90.5% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.7% | 91.4% | 91.9% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in The Flats never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 The Flats
| Period | The Flats | Wilmington | Philadelphia area | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 8.0% | 8.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 9.1% | 10.2% | 8.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 5.1% | 6.1% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in The Flats runs well above the national rate: 10.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only one other Wilmington neighborhood has 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).
The Flats 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Flats | 2.32 | 40.5 | 26.2% | 52.6% | 11.7% | 1947 | $1,190 | 17.1% | 87.7% | 10.3% |
| Hilltop | 2.62 | 37.1 | 22.5% | 49.8% | 10.0% | 1942 | $1,282 | 25.6% | 85.7% | 8.0% |
| Hedgeville | 2.94 | 34.7 | 28.1% | 44.1% | 9.4% | 1944 | $1,302 | 18.7% | 80.1% | 2.9% |
| Cool Springs | 1.83 | 48.4 | 12.9% | 60.0% | 15.9% | 1952 | $1,280 | 39.9% | 86.4% | 5.7% |
| Highlands | 1.80 | 49.1 | 3.4% | 22.5% | 5.3% | 1955 | $1,780 | 76.8% | 98.7% | 0.4% |
| Browntown | 1.99 | 33.9 | 27.8% | 49.7% | 7.3% | 1998 | $1,431 | 44.7% | 94.9% | 4.4% |
| Downtown | 2.28 | 33.5 | 30.1% | 72.5% | 21.5% | 1953 | $1,074 | 20.1% | 86.2% | 8.9% |
| Brandywine Village | 2.36 | 37.0 | 14.3% | 54.5% | 11.4% | 1962 | $1,086 | 29.6% | 90.2% | 12.6% |
| Baynard Village | 2.27 | 42.8 | 16.1% | 52.1% | 8.2% | 1939 | $1,330 | 34.5% | 85.8% | 4.6% |
| 9th Ward | 2.84 | 34.1 | 21.4% | 62.4% | 10.1% | 1956 | $1,230 | 21.4% | 91.4% | 7.9% |
| Northwest Wilmington | 2.13 | 47.2 | 17.0% | 40.4% | 4.9% | 1954 | $1,296 | 38.3% | 96.5% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Colonial Heights, Mobile, AL · Downtown Juneau, Juneau, AK · Cypress Run, Coral Springs, FL · Crown Meadows, San Antonio, TX · Croissant Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL · Crescent Area Historic District, Plainfield, NJ · Corky Row, Fall River, MA · Columbine Knolls South, Columbine, CO · Colonial Manor, Sacramento, CA · Colonial Heights, Sacramento, CA
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 The Flats. 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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