Town · Delaware
Townsend, Delaware
Townsend, town, in New Castle County, Delaware. Townsend had 2,985 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 9.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,717 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,832 (±26). GEOID 1072510.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,985
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,717 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,832 ±26
Median household income
$153,000
±$31,177 (90% margin)
Delaware: $84,954
Median home value
$465,100
±$25,718 (90% margin)
Delaware: $352,000
Median gross rent
$1,193
±$114 (90% margin)
Delaware: $1,401
Where is Townsend and what county is it in?
Townsend is a town in New Castle County, Delaware. It covers 1.1 square miles of land, 2,563 residents per square mile in 2020.
Townsend 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 Townsend, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,985 people lived in Townsend on July 1, 2025, up 9.6% since 2020, faster than Delaware (+7.1%). The 2020 Census counted 2,717 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,832 (±26).
| Measure | Townsend | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,832 ±26 | 577,961 | +398 |
| Households | 794 ±135 | 224,173 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.56 ±0.60 | 2.51 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 806 ±133 | 236,079 | no clear change |
Townsend's population since 2000
From 346 in 2000 to 2,985 in 2025: up 762.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Townsend as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Townsend?
The median resident of Townsend is 36.5 years old; 29.4% are under 18 and 6.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 42.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 39.1%. 9.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Townsend | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 ±4.1 | 39.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.4% ±5.6 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 6.1% ±2.1 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Male | 47.2% ±4.4 pts | 48.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.7% ±2.8 pts | 11.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 42.0% ±8.1 pts | 52.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 39.1% ±9.7 pts | 24.9% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.3% ±3.1 pts | 6.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 10.8% ±8.4 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 9.4% ±3.1 pts | 12.8% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.9% ±6.1 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.6% ±6.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 7.1% ±2.2 pts | 12.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.6% ±5.0 pts | 5.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.1% ±1.3 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 41.5% ±6.7 pts | 39.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 17.3% ±9.2 pts | 17.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.8% ±4.3 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.3% ±1.7 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 Townsend earn?
Half of Townsend's 794 households earn less than $153,000 a year (±$31,177), against $91,166 in New Castle County and $84,954 in Delaware. In 2015-2019 it was $146,966 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Townsend | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $153,000 ±$31,177 | $91,166 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $168,344 ±$23,452 | $120,512 | – |
| Per capita income | $48,088 ±$8,057 | $47,777 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 2.4% ±1.6 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.8% ±2.1 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.3% ±4.6 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.6% ±1.8 pts | 96.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.2% ±2.0 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 Townsend?
Owners occupy 93.5% of Townsend's occupied homes and renters 6.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $465,100 by its owner (±$25,718). The median renter pays $1,193 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Townsend | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $465,100 ±$25,718 | $352,200 | +$57,125 |
| Median gross rent | $1,193 ±$114 | $1,448 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 8.1% ±12.5 pts | 38.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,595 ±$154 | $1,882 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 93.5% ±4.4 pts | 69.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.5% ±4.4 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Housing units | 806 ±133 | 236,079 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±44.2 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 98.8% ±1.6 pts | 53.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±4.5 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.6% ±2.8 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 28.3% ±8.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.3% ±3.1 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1% ±1.4 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 many new homes is Townsend building?
Builders took permits for 18 new housing units in Townsend in 2025 (18 in single-family houses), 6.0 per 1,000 residents against 6.1 across Delaware.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Townsend work and get to work?
59.6% of Townsend's workers drive alone and 26.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 34.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.7%.
| Measure | Townsend | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 82.3% ±4.8 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% ±2.1 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 59.6% ±11.8 pts | 68.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.0% ±4.7 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.1% ±1.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 26.4% ±9.4 pts | 17.6% | +20.6 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 34.6 min ±4.3 | 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 Townsend?
No census tract lies mostly in Townsend; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 168.06New Castle County | 5,993 | $141,734 |
| Tract 168.08New Castle County | 7,124 | $135,439 |
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 Townsend) · Census block assignment files
How does Townsend compare with other places in Delaware?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Townsend is the 6,356th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 21st-most populous of 57 in Delaware.
Townsend ranks 2nd of 51 places in Delaware with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 21st | 57 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 20th | 31 |
| Residents per square mile | 13th | 51 |
| Median household income | 2nd | 51 |
| Per capita income | 15th | 51 |
| Median home value | 8th | 50 |
| Median gross rent | 36th | 47 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14th | 50 |
| Median age | 35th | 51 |
| Owner-occupied share | 5th | 50 |
| Work from home | 4th | 38 |
| Travel time to work | 1st | 51 |
Townsend's figures with every place in Delaware (CSV)
Every place in Delaware, sortable · Compare Townsend 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 Townsend?
20 of the 57 figures for Townsend 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 Townsend 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' public schools in Townsend.