Census-designated place · Delaware
North Star, Delaware
North Star, census-designated place, in New Castle County, Delaware. North Star had 7,834 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±888). GEOID 1052490.
Residents, 2020-2024
7,834
±888 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 8,056
Median household income
$150,733
±$41,168 (90% margin)
Delaware: $84,954
Median home value
$583,700
±$21,216 (90% margin)
Delaware: $352,000
Median gross rent
not published
Delaware: $1,401
Where is North Star and what county is it in?
North Star is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in New Castle County, Delaware. It covers 6.8 square miles of land, 1,184 residents per square mile in 2020.
North Star is in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in North Star, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts North Star's population at 7,834 (±888). The 2020 Census counted 8,056 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; North Star is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | North Star | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 7,834 ±888 | 577,961 | no clear change |
| Households | 3,035 ±414 | 224,173 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.58 ±0.16 | 2.51 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,170 ±400 | 236,079 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in North Star?
The median resident of North Star is 51.6 years old; 17.3% are under 18 and 22.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.4%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 12.2%. 13.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | North Star | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.6 ±5.2 | 39.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.3% ±2.9 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.7% ±3.3 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Male | 48.3% ±2.8 pts | 48.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.0% ±1.5 pts | 11.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 77.4% ±4.4 pts | 52.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.2% ±2.2 pts | 24.9% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 12.2% ±3.7 pts | 6.2% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.2% ±1.8 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 13.6% ±2.9 pts | 12.8% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 14.2% ±4.1 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.2% ±1.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 7.7% ±2.1 pts | 12.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.7% ±0.7 pts | 5.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.5% ±0.8 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 72.7% ±5.0 pts | 39.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 28.4% ±5.5 pts | 17.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.7% ±2.0 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.2% ±1.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in North Star earn?
Half of North Star's 3,035 households earn less than $150,733 a year (±$41,168), against $91,166 in New Castle County and $84,954 in Delaware. In 2015-2019 it was $169,734 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 3.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | North Star | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $150,733 ±$41,168 | $91,166 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $192,349 ±$19,878 | $120,512 | – |
| Per capita income | $73,929 ±$8,925 | $47,777 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 3.5% ±2.0 pts | 10.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.3% ±4.2 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 99.8% ±0.4 pts | 96.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 97.6% ±1.4 pts | 93.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in North Star?
Owners occupy 86.4% of North Star's occupied homes and renters 13.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $583,700 by its owner (±$21,216).
| Measure | North Star | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $583,700 ±$21,216 | $352,200 | +$34,934 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 21.8% ±28.2 pts | 38.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,784 ±$127 | $1,882 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.4% ±10.2 pts | 69.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.6% ±10.2 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Housing units | 3,170 ±400 | 236,079 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.9% ±10.8 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 90.3% ±2.8 pts | 53.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5% ±2.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.6% ±0.6 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.6% ±2.3 pts | 7.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in North Star work and get to work?
70.0% of North Star's workers drive alone and 20.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.1%.
| Measure | North Star | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.6% ±4.8 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% ±2.0 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 70.0% ±6.7 pts | 68.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.9% ±1.9 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Walked | 4.4% ±5.9 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 20.6% ±5.3 pts | 17.6% | +12.0 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.1 min ±2.4 | 25.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in North Star?
2 census tracts lie mostly in North Star (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $149,286 (Tract 135.06) to $157,031 (Tract 135.05).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 135.06New Castle County | 4,337 | $149,286 |
| Tract 135.05New Castle County | 3,497 | $157,031 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in North Star) · Census block assignment files
How does North Star compare with other places in Delaware?
North Star ranks 3rd of 51 places in Delaware with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 15th | 51 |
| Residents per square mile | 35th | 51 |
| Median household income | 3rd | 51 |
| Per capita income | 5th | 51 |
| Median home value | 4th | 50 |
| Poverty rate | 33rd | 33 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2nd | 50 |
| Median age | 9th | 51 |
| Owner-occupied share | 13th | 50 |
| Work from home | 9th | 38 |
| Travel time to work | 30th | 51 |
North Star's figures with every place in Delaware (CSV)
Every place in Delaware, sortable · Compare North Star with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for North Star?
16 of the 56 figures for North Star on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for North Star are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.