Largest Cities in Delaware: Ranked by Population
The largest city in Delaware in our data is Dover, DE, with an estimated 117,282 people, followed by Wilmington, DE (70,166) and Middletown, DE (35,695). This list ranks the top 23 places among the 23 Delaware communities with at least 5,000 residents.
What are the top 23 in Delaware?
| # | City | County | Population | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dover, DE | Kent County | 117,282 | 1,611 |
| 2 | Wilmington, DE | New Castle County | 70,166 | 6,434 |
| 3 | Middletown, DE | New Castle County | 35,695 | 1,937 |
| 4 | Newark, DE | New Castle County | 33,515 | 3,647 |
| 5 | Lewes, DE | Sussex County | 29,187 | 798 |
| 6 | Milford, DE | Sussex County | 22,102 | 1,199 |
| 7 | Bear, DE | New Castle County | 20,850 | 3,649 |
| 8 | Ocean View, DE | Sussex County | 14,360 | 790 |
| 9 | Glasgow, DE | New Castle County | 14,359 | 1,445 |
| 10 | Brookside, DE | New Castle County | 13,396 | 3,395 |
| 11 | Hockessin, DE | New Castle County | 13,157 | 1,308 |
| 12 | Smyrna, DE | Kent County | 11,813 | 1,880 |
| 13 | Pike Creek Valley, DE | New Castle County | 10,989 | 4,253 |
| 14 | Millsboro, DE | Sussex County | 10,985 | 774 |
| 15 | Georgetown, DE | Sussex County | 10,638 | 1,505 |
| 16 | Claymont, DE | New Castle County | 9,330 | 4,338 |
| 17 | Seaford, DE | Sussex County | 8,013 | 1,577 |
| 18 | Wilmington Manor, DE | New Castle County | 7,903 | 4,887 |
| 19 | Pike Creek, DE | New Castle County | 7,613 | 2,764 |
| 20 | North Star, DE | New Castle County | 7,503 | 1,101 |
| 21 | Edgemoor, DE | New Castle County | 6,934 | 3,714 |
| 22 | Elsmere, DE | New Castle County | 5,872 | 5,833 |
| 23 | New Castle, DE | New Castle County | 5,392 | 1,598 |
How big are the largest cities in Delaware?
Of the 23 places with pages, 1 has more than 100,000 residents, 4 have between 25,000 and 100,000, and 18 have fewer than 25,000. The median place has about 11,813 people. The ten largest places account for about 76% of the combined population of all pages, which shows how concentrated the state's population is across communities. New Castle County contributes 15 of the top 23.
Which counties do the top 23 belong to?
The 23 places on this list are spread across 3 counties of Delaware. New Castle County has 15 (Wilmington, Middletown, Newark, Bear, Glasgow, Brookside, Hockessin, Pike Creek Valley, Cl); Sussex County has 6 (Lewes, Milford, Ocean View, Millsboro, Georgetown, Seaford); Kent County has 2 (Dover, Smyrna). Counties with several entries are usually centers of a metropolitan area, where one large city is surrounded by many suburbs that each pass the 5,000-resident threshold.
How does Delaware compare with the rest of the country?
The median Delaware place with a page has about 11,813 residents, compared with about 13,459 nationwide, so the state's typical community is smaller than the national typical place. Dover, DE ranks 382nd among all US places by estimated population in our data. The state has 77 communities in total, of which 23 reach 5,000 residents. See the national ranking of the largest cities for comparison.
Quick answers about Delaware cities
- Which is the largest city in Delaware? Dover (117,282 people).
- How many Delaware cities have more than 100,000 people? 1 in our data.
- How many have 25,000 to 100,000? 4.
- What is the typical size? About 11,813 residents for a place with a page.
How is this ranking made?
The data comes from the SimpleMaps US Cities Database, which gives each place an estimated population and a density in people per square kilometer. We convert density to people per square mile and rank the places with at least 5,000 residents. Boundaries matter: a city that includes large parks or farmland scores lower on density than a compact city of the same size, and population estimates can include areas that share a city's ZIP codes. Read why population figures differ and how density is calculated before you quote a number.
Where to go next
Rankings use dataset estimates, not official counts.