New Castle County, Delaware

DE · FIPS 10003 Democrat

Located in Delaware, New Castle County has a population of 577,961 residents and a median age of 39.3 years, making it the #122 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.1%. The median home value is $352,200, and the median household income is $91,166, which is 21% above the national median.

577,961
Population
#122 of 3,222
$91,166
Median Income
+21.3% #278 of 3,222
39.3 years
Median Age
+1.0% #2,307 of 3,222
10.1%
Poverty Rate
-19.6% #820 of 3,222

Demographics

New Castle County has a population of 577,961, making it the #122 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.3 years, which is 1.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

87.2%
Native Born
12.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in New Castle County is $91,166, ranking #278 out of 3,222 counties — 21.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 10.1% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.

Income#278
$91,166
+21.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Per Capita#283
$47,777
+15.8%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poverty#820
10.1%
-19.6%
vs nation
75th percentile
Unemployment#1,899
4.8%
-9.0%
vs nation
41th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in New Castle County is $352,200 (+24.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,448/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.0%.

Home Value#407
$352,200
+24.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Rent#279
$1,448
+24.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Homeownership#2,399
69.0%
+7.2%
vs nation
26th percentile

Household Type

Education

In New Castle County, 39.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 17.8% above the national average, ranking #290 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
39.7% +17.8% vs nation
Rank #290 of 3,222
91th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in New Castle County is 77.1 years. 16.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#898
77.1
+2.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#820
16.1%
-17.7%
vs nation
74th percentile
Diabetes#1,940
11.6%
+4.2%
vs nation
38th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,291
36.5%
-2.2%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#380
4.9
-12.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#287
3.6
-19.2%
vs nation
91th percentile
Uninsured Rate#515
6.2%
-41.1%
vs nation
84th percentile
Physical Inactivity#696
22.4%
-15.1%
vs nation
78th percentile
Food Insecurity#796
12.0%
-16.7%
vs nation
75th percentile

Substance Use

14.2% of adults in New Castle County smoke , 37.6% are obese , and 18.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 52.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#473
14.2%
-20.9%
vs nation
85th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,304
37.6%
-0.8%
vs nation
59th percentile
Excessive Drinking#853
18.0%
-9.5%
vs nation
73th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,855
52.3
+61.8%
vs nation
12th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in New Castle County is 8.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.2 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,084
8.9
+11.2%
vs nation
29th percentile
Suicide Rate#237
11.6
-41.4%
vs nation
91th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#757
13.3
-25.8%
vs nation
69th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#482
11.2
-44.5%
vs nation
83th percentile

Families & Children

14.6% of children in New Castle County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 11.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#808
6.9
+2.1%
vs nation
41th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#596
11.9
-45.4%
vs nation
80th percentile
Child Poverty#1,027
14.6%
-23.1%
vs nation
67th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in New Castle County is 70.1%. The mean commute time is 27.8 min, which is 0.6% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.8 min +0.6% vs nation
Rank #1,307 of 3,222
59th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, New Castle County voted Democratic with a margin of 32.6%. The vote was 65.5% Dem / 32.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +32.6%
65.5% 32.9%
Dem 275,917 votes Rep
2020 DEM +37.1%
67.8% 30.7%
Dem 287,633 votes Rep
2016 DEM +29.6%
62.3% 32.7%
Dem 261,468 votes Rep
2012 DEM +34.1%
66.3% 32.2%
Dem 251,960 votes Rep
2008 DEM +40.6%
69.7% 29.1%
Dem 256,417 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About New Castle County, Delaware

New Castle County, Delaware has a total population of 577,961, making it the 122nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in New Castle County is 39.3 years, which is 1.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in New Castle County is $91,166, which ranks #278 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.

The median home value in New Castle County is $352,200, 24.9% above the national median. Renters in New Castle County pay a median gross rent of $1,448 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In New Castle County, 39.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17.8% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.8 min.

New Castle County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 52.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (24.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (11.8%).

All data for New Castle County, Delaware comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.