City profile · Delaware · Census ACS 2023

Dover, DE

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Dover - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

39,491
Residents
$58,336
Median income
$248,500
Median home
$1,470
Median rent (state)

Dover - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Dover places in the 33rd percentile for household income and the 1st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

33rd
percentile, household income
55th
percentile, home value
58th
percentile, median rent
1st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Dover, DE

Delaware's Dover is a small city, with 39,491 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $58,336 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.5%. Dover's housing stock carries a median value of $248,500, and the median resident age is 35.1 years. 27.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 54.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 218 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 354% from five years earlier. Dover's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 7082.1 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 57.1°F with 47.6 inches of precipitation per year and 13.2 inches of snowfall.

Delaware tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Delaware at 99.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,470 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Delaware run around $243, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 84.5 out of 100 (High).

Population

39,491 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Delaware

Median Household Income

$58,336 /yr

Poverty 14.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

99.8 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Delaware average

How does Dover compare to other US cities?

Where Dover sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 33% higher than other cities
Home value 55% pricier than other cities
Median rent 58% pricier than other cities
Safety 1% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Delaware alone, Dover ranks #30 of 31 Delaware cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Dover's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Delaware, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

33rdIncome percentile
1stSafety percentile

33rd percentile nationally for median household income · 1st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Dover's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Dover's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 26 Avg. percentile National median
Dover's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Dover's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$248,500 45th percentile more affordable than 45% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Dover $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Dover, DE Dover, DE's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Dover, DE-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Dover, DE median $58,336/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Dover, DE's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Dover, DE. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 27.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
39,491
Median Income
$58,336
Median Home Value
$248,500
Median Age
35.1
Poverty Rate
14.5%
Labor force participation
54.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
27.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
7082.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1012.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
6069.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
57.1°F
Annual Precipitation
47.6"
Annual Snowfall
13.2"

Schools

Total Schools
20
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
39,000 residents39,500 residents40,000 residents40,500 residents41,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 39,417 residents 40,592 residents ▲ +3.0%
Dover's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
218
housing units authorized
Single-Family
92
detached homes
Multifamily
126
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 48
2020 48
2021 81
2022 116
2023 81
2024 218

Permit volume increased 354% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
72.8%
Carpool
8.6%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
6.8%
Work from Home
8.7%
Other
1.2%

Based on 17,791 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Delaware - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$243
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Delaware state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Delaware state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Dover sits in

Cost of Living Index
99.8
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,470/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
84.5 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Delaware

Newark
30,309 people
Middletown
24,071 people
Bear
22,604 people
Glasgow
16,095 people
Brookside
15,262 people
Hockessin
13,608 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Dover's 39,491 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Severna Park, MD
39,499 people
Lake Stevens, WA
39,500 people
Issaquah, WA
39,472 people
Lincoln Park, MI
39,511 people
Rosenberg, TX
39,467 people
Chelsea, MA
39,460 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Dover's $58,336 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Twin, AL
$58,333 median income
Wilsey, KS
$58,333 median income
Antwerp, NY
$58,333 median income
Stickney, SD
$58,333 median income
Killeen, TX
$58,339 median income
Lockney, TX
$58,333 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Dover, DE Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Dover, DE - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 37.4% 45.2% 10.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.3% White 37.4% Black or African American 45.2% Asian 2.8% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 3.8% Two or more races 10.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Dover compares to nearby Delaware cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Dover (this city) 39,491 $58,336
Newark 30,309 $71,373
Middletown 24,071 $115,252
Bear 22,604 $88,985
Census ACS 5-year FIPS DE FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Dover, DE?

What is the population of Dover, DE? +

The population of Dover, DE stands at 39,491 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Dover, DE? +

Dover households earn a median of $58,336 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Dover? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Dover; the closest available measure is the Delaware state average, a cost of living index of 99.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Delaware vary by metro area.

Is Dover, DE safe? +

Dover has a total crime rate of 7082.1 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Dover, DE? +

The median home value in Dover is $248,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Dover? +

Climate normals put Dover's yearly average temperature at 57.1°F, 47.6 inches of precipitation, and 13.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.