An ideal town or neighborhood looks different for everyone.
Those who can't get enough of the outdoors may prioritize proximity to trails, lakes, and beaches, while parents are looking for places with top-ranked schools for their children. Culture lovers might want to live in a city with museums and art walks, whereas sports fans look for professional or college sports teams nearby.
Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Delaware using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather.
On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums.
Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.
CORRECTION: A previously published version of this piece, in some cases, incorrectly listed private schools as public schools.
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1 / 11- Overall Rank: 1,962
- Population: 2,824
- Median household income: $133,614
- Median home value: $936,500 (50% own)
- Median rent: $1,561 (50% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+), Conrad Schools of Science (grade A)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Archmere Academy (grade A+)
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2 / 11- Overall Rank: 483
- Population: 13,878
- Median household income: $164,848
- Median home value: $546,600 (91% own)
- Median rent: $3,501 (9% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+), Conrad Schools of Science (grade A)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Archmere Academy (grade A+)
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3 / 11- Overall Rank: 1,268
- Population: 8,370
- Median household income: $165,179
- Median home value: $508,100 (87% own)
- Median rent: $1,479 (13% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Newark Charter School (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Sanford School (grade A+)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
4 / 11- Overall Rank: 506
- Population: 6,975
- Median household income: $129,614
- Median home value: $398,100 (84% own)
- Median rent: $2,220 (16% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Newark Charter School (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Sanford School (grade A+)
Jacek Chabraszewski // Shutterstock
5 / 11- Overall Rank: 2,339
- Population: 11,452
- Median household income: $86,953
- Median home value: $281,800 (64% own)
- Median rent: $1,525 (36% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Newark Charter School (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Sanford School (grade A+)
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6 / 11- Overall Rank: 2,314
- Population: 1,028
- Median household income: $56,254
- Median home value: $176,835 (56% own)
- Median rent: $1,226 (44% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+), Conrad Schools of Science (grade A)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Archmere Academy (grade A+)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 11- Overall Rank: 1,936
- Population: 3,537
- Median household income: $54,016
- Median home value: $353,875 (60% own)
- Median rent: $949 (40% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+), Conrad Schools of Science (grade A)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Archmere Academy (grade A+)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 11- Overall Rank: 1,713
- Population: 2,099
- Median household income: $112,339
- Median home value: $441,609 (68% own)
- Median rent: $1,486 (32% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+), Conrad Schools of Science (grade A)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Archmere Academy (grade A+)
Laura Beach // Shutterstock
9 / 11- Overall Rank: 1,339
- Population: 1,357
- Median household income: $147,273
- Median home value: $1,230,700 (85% own)
- Median rent: $1,344 (15% rent)
- Top public schools: Beacon Middle School (grade A), Love Creek Elementary School (grade A), Richard A. Shields Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Bethel Christian School (grade unavailable)
Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko // Shutterstock
10 / 11- Overall Rank: 1,083
- Population: 3,597
- Median household income: $64,308
- Median home value: $345,087 (30% own)
- Median rent: $1,263 (70% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+), Conrad Schools of Science (grade A)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Archmere Academy (grade A+)
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Robert Kneschke // Shutterstock
11 / 11- Overall Rank: 428
- Population: 1,197
- Median household income: $127,733
- Median home value: $412,459 (68% own)
- Median rent: $1,398 (32% rent)
- Top public schools: The Charter School of Wilmington (grade A+), Cab Calloway School of the Arts (grade A+), Conrad Schools of Science (grade A)
- Top private schools: Tower Hill School (grade A+), Wilmington Friends School (grade A+), Archmere Academy (grade A+)
This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 42 states.
