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Place dossier plate
SheetDE-DOVER-DE · Dover, DE 39,491 pop · income 33rd pct · 42 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Dover
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Dover on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Lincoln Park · lowest
57,183
Lincoln Park · lowest
57,183 median HH income
33.1% of the leader · rank #1
Twin · near
58,333
Twin · near
58,333 median HH income
33.8% of the leader · rank #2
Wilsey · near
58,333
Wilsey · near
58,333 median HH income
33.8% of the leader · rank #3
Antwerp · near
58,333
Antwerp · near
58,333 median HH income
33.8% of the leader · rank #4
Stickney · near
58,333
Stickney · near
58,333 median HH income
33.8% of the leader · rank #5
Dover · this city
58,336
Dover · this city
58,336 median HH income
33.8% of the leader · rank #6
Hockessin · highest
172,695
Hockessin · highest
172,695 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Dover on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 39,491.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
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
78th
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 $1,560 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 91.3 out of 100 (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Dover's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to population change to work and mobility to housing and income to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Dover, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Dover?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 7082.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 211% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Dover?
Within Delaware, the closest population matches are Newark (30,309 residents, $71,373 income); Middletown (24,071 residents, $115,252 income); Bear (22,604 residents, $88,985 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Severna Park, MD (39,499 residents); Lake Stevens, WA (39,500 residents); Issaquah, WA (39,472 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 57.1°F, with 47.6 inches of precipitation and 13.2 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Delaware is 91.3 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 42 Census tracts to this city.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Dover growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,175 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 218 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+3.0%
2025 estimate
40,592
2020 estimate
39,417
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.8%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
1.9%
Work from home
8.7%
Drive alone
72.8%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 17,791 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in Dover?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Household income
$58,336
Home value
$248,500
Value / income
4.3×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
The NCES join finds 20 public schools within the city match. 27.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
20
Bachelor's degree+
27.1%
Poverty estimate
14.5%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Below median income · poverty 14.5% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
99.8 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Delaware average
F
City profile score · Dover, DE
29/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share C-
27.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living D
99.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income F
$58,336
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
14.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
1,013 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Dover profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 53/100 (C-) · 27.1%
Cost of living: 41/100 (D) · 99.8 index
Household income: 32/100 (F) · $58,336
Poverty rate: 24/100 (F) · 14.5%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 1,013 /100k
Where Dover sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Dover's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Dover highlighted among 27 peers.Read the chart values
Dover, DE (this city): home $248,500, crime 7,082/100k
Lake Stevens, WA : home $593,900, crime 766/100k
Lincoln Park, MI : home $117,400, crime 2,447/100k
Rosenberg, TX : home $218,600, crime 1,720/100k
Chelsea, MA : home $476,500, crime 2,415/100k
Newark, DE : home $357,600, crime 2,308/100k
Middletown, DE : home $399,500, crime 1,668/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
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 income33% higher than other cities
Home value55% pricier than other cities
Median rent78% pricier than other cities
Safety1% 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
Each percentile compares Dover against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Delaware only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Delaware-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Dover near the bottom of Delaware's cities
Among the 79 Delaware cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Dover ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Dover only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#67 of 77
13th percentile in Delaware
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 79
0th percentile in Delaware
Median Home Value
#56 of 77
27th percentile in Delaware
Poverty Rate
#10 of 79
87th percentile in Delaware
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#47 of 79
41st percentile in Delaware
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Delaware only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
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.
How Dover's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$248,50045th percentilemore affordable than 45% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Dover's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#11,419 of 15,516
More affordable than 26% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,188 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 4.3×, Dover sits in the moderate band:
national rank #11,419 of 15,516 and #2,188 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$58,336Dover, DE median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Dover, DE median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Dover, DE.
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
Crime reporting caveat
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
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Dover's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
39,417 residents
2021
39,746 residents
2022
39,911 residents
2023
40,099 residents
2024
40,311 residents
2025
40,592 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
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
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
48
46
2
$8.2M
2020
48
48
0
$10.9M
2021
81
81
0
$17.1M
2022
116
102
14
$22.1M
2023
81
63
18
$14.8M
2024
218
92
126
$30.0M
Permit volume increased 354% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
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
Delaware statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $243
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Delaware at $243 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Delaware statewide averages, not a meter reading for Dover. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Delaware's BEA cost-of-living index is 99.8 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Dover is $1,560/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Delaware statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 91.3 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Delaware statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Dover sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Dover compares to similar-size Delaware cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
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.