METRO AREA
Dover Metro
Dover, DE · 1 counties · 194,786 residents (2025 est.) · 586 sq mi
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The short version
Dover is home to 187,604 people. 60,907 more people live here than in 2000. That puts it in the top 6% of US metro areas for household income. 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 73% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 7%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 68%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
187,604
+48%since 2000
from 126,697 in 2000
194,786 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
586 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024188K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(10,930)
5 to 96.9%(12,986)
10 to 146%(11,268)
15 to 197.1%(13,234)
20 to 246.8%(12,729)
25 to 3413.1%(24,528)
35 to 4412.3%(22,991)
45 to 5411%(20,716)
55 to 6412.8%(23,928)
65 to 7410.8%(20,265)
75 to 845.6%(10,472)
85 and over1.9%(3,557)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$74,477
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,950 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
49.7%
+19.3 ptssince 2009
from 30.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.5%
Retail trade7.6%
Wholesale trade7.3%
Finance & insurance6.5%
Professional, scientific, technical5.6%
Other services5.5%
Public administration4.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
Construction0.9%
Education & health services0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$316,600
+68%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $103,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.3
+12%since 2009
from 3.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
37
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic72.1%(91,325)
Black20.3%(25,770)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(4,069)
Asian1.7%(2,104)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic56.5%(106,078)
Black26.4%(49,530)
Hispanic / Latino8.1%(15,216)
Asian2.5%(4,680)
Other6.4%(12,100)
75
+26%since 2009
from 59 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
28
+10%since 2020
from 25 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican3.6%(6,757)
Mexican1.7%(3,166)
Central American0.9%(1,608)
South American0.8%(1,533)
Dominican0.5%(858)
Ecuadorian0.3%(603)
Salvadoran0.3%(538)
Cuban0.3%(535)
Guatemalan0.3%(477)
Panamanian0.2%(435)
Argentine0.2%(288)
Colombian0.1%(239)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.1%(171)
Peruvian0.1%(169)
Venezuelan0.1%(150)
Bolivian0%(82)
Honduran0%(79)
Nicaraguan0%(77)
Costa Rican0%(2)
Chilean0%(2)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.7%(1,283)
Filipino0.5%(1,016)
Pakistani0.4%(699)
Korean0.3%(623)
Chinese0.2%(445)
Vietnamese0.1%(227)
Thai0.1%(128)
Japanese0%(82)
Bangladeshi0%(78)
Taiwanese0%(30)
Cambodian0%(16)
Laotian0%(8)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Malaysian0%(2)
Ancestry
Irish12.2%(22,815)
German11.2%(21,005)
English9.4%(17,554)
American6.2%(11,542)
Italian5.7%(10,660)
Subsaharan African2.6%(4,924)
Polish2.6%(4,920)
West Indian2.2%(4,098)
Scottish1.4%(2,589)
French1.3%(2,500)
Haitian1.1%(2,152)
Nigerian1%(1,831)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Jamaican0.9%(1,597)
Dutch0.8%(1,442)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(1,435)
Norwegian0.5%(979)
Welsh0.5%(972)
Swedish0.5%(940)
Greek0.5%(909)
Russian0.4%(792)
French Canadian0.4%(761)
British0.4%(694)
Hungarian0.3%(520)
Ukrainian0.3%(520)
Austrian0.3%(514)
Lithuanian0.3%(502)
Turkish0.2%(419)
Arab0.2%(319)
Czech0.2%(316)
Swiss0.2%(288)
Portuguese0.1%(278)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(266)
Guyanese0.1%(255)
Canadian0.1%(203)
Slovak0.1%(178)
Ghanaian0.1%(150)
Moroccan0.1%(122)
Danish0.1%(109)
Egyptian0.1%(97)
Brazilian0%(88)
Romanian0%(76)
Serbian0%(76)
Slovene0%(75)
Croatian0%(53)
Armenian0%(52)
Lebanese0%(50)
Belgian0%(49)
Macedonian0%(22)
Finnish0%(19)
Barbadian0%(15)
Palestinian0%(14)
Latvian0%(10)
Iranian0%(7)
Israeli0%(4)
Ethiopian0%(4)
Syrian0%(2)
Kenyan0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
91.0%
+11.6 ptssince 2000
from 79.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.1%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 72.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.9%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 91.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.8%(25,129)
Married52.6%(37,904)
Widowed3.5%(2,539)
Divorced9.1%(6,537)
Women 15+
Never married30.9%(24,830)
Married47%(37,778)
Widowed9.3%(7,486)
Divorced12.7%(10,217)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
11.1%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
3.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 66.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
42.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 41.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)29.2%(4,530)
Gulf War (1990s)29.1%(4,517)
Vietnam era30.9%(4,794)
Korean War4.3%(674)
World War II0.9%(142)
Share of the 15,500 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities
DoverCENTRAL40,592Milford14,723Smyrna13,340Clayton4,527Camden4,176Rising Sun-Lebanon4,163Harrington3,974Highland Acres3,752Dover Base Housing2,962Cheswold2,653Riverview2,596Kent Acres2,388Woodside East2,274Wyoming1,865Felton1,386Rodney1,331Frederica1,155Houston405Magnolia291Bowers290Kenton231Woodside200Little Creek199Leipsic197Viola145Farmington101Hartly79
What's inside
1 component county
Drill deeper
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DOVER VS
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DOVER VS
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DOVER VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Dover, DE?
Dover, DE has about 187,604 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Dover, DE?
The typical household in Dover, DE earns about $74,477 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Dover, DE expensive?
In Dover, DE, the median home is worth about $316,600, and the typical rent is about $1,354 a month.
How educated are people in Dover, DE?
About 27.5% of adults age 25 and over in Dover, DE hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Dover, DE?
About 10.6% of people in Dover, DE live below the federal poverty line.
Has Dover, DE grown since 1990?
Yes, Dover, DE has grown since 1990. The population has added about 76,611 residents, a change of about 69 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024