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You've seen these lists before: Best places to live in Delaware, Most Beautiful Downtowns, etc., etc. But all of them focus on major cities and towns in the First State and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that's all about to change as we put together a list of the best small towns in Delaware based on numbers--not opinions or hearsay.
We'll dive right into our methodology in the next section; but first, we thought you might just want to know which places in Delaware ranked the based--you know, based on science.
Before we get to the top 15, here's a look at the 10 Best Small Towns To Live in Delaware for 2022.
The 10 Best Small Towns To Live In Delaware For 2022
What's the best small town in Delaware? Greenville is the best small town in Delaware based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Greenville, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you--keep reading and we'll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the First State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Delaware
- Cheapest Places To Live In Delaware
- Most Dangerous Cities In Delaware
The 15 Best Small Towns In Delaware For 2022
/10
Population: 2,448
Median Income: $117,759 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $733,300 (2nd Best)
More on Greenville: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,546
Median Income: $137,856 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $334,400 (8th Best)
More on Townsend: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
Population: 1,150
Median Income: $96,700 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $571,700 (4th Best)
More on Bethany Beach: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,109
Median Income: $78,167 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $226,400 (16th Best)
More on Bellefonte: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,993
Median Income: $59,924 (20th Best)
Median Home Value: $301,800 (11th Best)
More on Milton: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,266
Median Income: $72,609 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $612,700 (3rd Best)
More on Lewes: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,913
Median Income: $91,800 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $239,300 (14th Best)
More on Highland Acres: Data | Homes For Sale
Population: 1,045
Median Income: $107,500 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $339,500 (6th Best)
More on St. Georges: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,637
Median Income: $75,852 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $367,800 (5th Best)
More on Ocean View: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,588
Median Income: $117,083 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $1,147,600 (1st Best)
More on Rehoboth Beach: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,529
Median Income: $70,061 (14th Best)
Median Home Value: $218,300 (17th Best)
More on Camden: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,484
Median Income: $70,938 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $335,900 (7th Best)
More on Millville: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,393
Median Income: $87,118 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $256,300 (13th Best)
More on Clayton: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,191
Median Income: $64,038 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $205,600 (20th Best)
More on Felton: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,170
Median Income: $66,053 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $279,600 (12th Best)
More on Rising Sun-Lebanon: Data | Homes For Sale
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Delaware
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent data from the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which, there were a lot - 31 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 31, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Delaware. Top of that list -- Greenville. You can download the data here.
Keep reading to find out more about our top 15 best small towns in Delaware.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once and we'll say it again -- this list: it's just science. We did the research, we crunched the numbers, and it turns out, these 15 small towns in Delaware are the best, in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
If you're curious, here are the worst small towns in Delaware:
- Cheswold
- Laurel
- Long Neck
For more Delaware reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Delaware
- Safest Places In Delaware
- Worst Places To Live In Delaware
Detailed List Of The Best Small Towns In Delaware
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Greenville, DE | 2,448 |
2 | Townsend, DE | 2,546 |
3 | Bethany Beach, DE | 1,150 |
4 | Bellefonte, DE | 1,109 |
5 | Milton, DE | 2,993 |
6 | Lewes, DE | 3,266 |
7 | Highland Acres, DE | 3,913 |
8 | St. Georges, DE | 1,045 |
9 | Ocean View, DE | 2,637 |
10 | Rehoboth Beach, DE | 1,588 |
11 | Camden, DE | 3,529 |
12 | Millville, DE | 1,484 |
13 | Clayton, DE | 3,393 |
14 | Felton, DE | 1,191 |
15 | Rising Sun-Lebanon, DE | 4,170 |
16 | Millsboro, DE | 4,448 |
17 | Wyoming, DE | 1,596 |
18 | Selbyville, DE | 2,520 |
19 | Riverview, DE | 2,557 |
20 | Bridgeville, DE | 3,508 |
21 | Greenwood, DE | 1,127 |
22 | Kent Acres, DE | 1,832 |
23 | Dagsboro, DE | 1,026 |
24 | Delaware City, DE | 1,779 |
25 | Blades, DE | 1,123 |
26 | Delmar, DE | 2,153 |
27 | Rodney Village, DE | 1,165 |
28 | Harrington, DE | 3,658 |
29 | Long Neck, DE | 2,869 |
30 | Laurel, DE | 4,311 |
31 | Cheswold, DE | 1,673 |