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The 10 Worst Small Towns In Delaware For 2026

The worst small towns in Delaware are Laurel and Dagsboro for 2026 based on Friday Night Science.

Nick Johnson
Written by
HomeSnacks
Last updated
July 19, 2026

Most Americans have never been to small town Delaware. However, as the Delawarean who live there know, small town Delaware is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Delaware has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the First State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 33 of Delaware’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Delaware where you’d never want to live:

1

No. 1 worst small town in Delaware

Laurel, DE

4,152 peopleSnackAbility 5/10
5/10
Laurel, DE
Source: Wikipedia User Bwave at English Wikipedia | GFDL
15.9% unemployment · $48,644 median income
Located in Sussex County, Delaware
Median home value -24% vs DE
$305,530
DE $403k
Median income -43% vs DE
$48,644
DE $85k
Unemployment +212% vs DE
15.9%
DE 5.1%

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

2

No. 2 worst small town in Delaware

Dagsboro, DE

1,376 peopleup 2
5.5% unemployment · $60,607 median income
Located in Sussex County, Delaware
Median home value +9% vs DE
$437,413
DE $403k
Median income -29% vs DE
$60,607
DE $85k
Unemployment +8% vs DE
5.5%
DE 5.1%

Data

3

No. 3 worst small town in Delaware

Bridgeville, DE

2,745 peopleup 2
5.8% unemployment · $64,879 median income
Located in Sussex County, Delaware
Median home value -11% vs DE
$356,953
DE $403k
Median income -24% vs DE
$64,879
DE $85k
Unemployment +14% vs DE
5.8%
DE 5.1%

Data

4

No. 4 worst small town in Delaware

Delmar, DE

2,412 peopledown 2
4.6% unemployment · $61,250 median income
Located in Sussex County, Delaware
Median home value -17% vs DE
$334,952
DE $403k
Median income -28% vs DE
$61,250
DE $85k
Unemployment -10% vs DE
4.6%
DE 5.1%

Data

5

No. 5 worst small town in Delaware

Blades, DE

1,071 peopleup 3
11.9% unemployment · $56,875 median income
Located in Sussex County, Delaware
Median home value -42% vs DE
$235,408
DE $403k
Median income -33% vs DE
$56,875
DE $85k
Unemployment +133% vs DE
11.9%
DE 5.1%

Data

6

No. 6 worst small town in Delaware

Wyoming, DE

2,000 peopleup 5
12.3% unemployment · $69,603 median income
Located in Kent County, Delaware
Median home value -25% vs DE
$302,796
DE $403k
Median income -18% vs DE
$69,603
DE $85k
Unemployment +141% vs DE
12.3%
DE 5.1%

Data

7

No. 7 worst small town in Delaware

Rodney Village, DE

1,331 peopleup 9
3.3% unemployment · $43,558 median income
Located in Kent County, Delaware
Median home value -38% vs DE
$250,522
DE $403k
Median income -49% vs DE
$43,558
DE $85k
Unemployment -35% vs DE
3.3%
DE 5.1%

Data

8

No. 8 worst small town in Delaware

Greenwood, DE

1,564 peopleup 5
1.0% unemployment · $73,345 median income
Located in Sussex County, Delaware
Median home value -31% vs DE
$279,525
DE $403k
Median income -14% vs DE
$73,345
DE $85k
Unemployment -80% vs DE
1.0%
DE 5.1%

Data

9

No. 9 worst small town in Delaware

Kent Acres, DE

2,388 people
4.5% unemployment · $91,524 median income
Located in Kent County, Delaware
Median home value -14% vs DE
$345,381
DE $403k
Median income +8% vs DE
$91,524
DE $85k
Unemployment -12% vs DE
4.5%
DE 5.1%

Data

10

No. 10 worst small town in Delaware

Woodside East, DE

2,274 peopledown 4
11.9% unemployment · $61,142 median income
Located in Kent County, Delaware
Median home value -6% vs DE
$378,512
DE $403k
Median income -28% vs DE
$61,142
DE $85k
Unemployment +133% vs DE
11.9%
DE 5.1%

Data

The receipts

Compare the top ten

Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Delaware’s statewide median.

City Median home value vs DE
1 Laurel $305,530 -24%
2 Dagsboro $437,413 +9%
3 Bridgeville $356,953 -11%
4 Delmar $334,952 -17%
5 Blades $235,408 -42%
6 Wyoming $302,796 -25%
7 Rodney Village $250,522 -38%
8 Greenwood $279,525 -31%
9 Kent Acres $345,381 -14%
10 Woodside East $378,512 -6%

Delaware statewide median: $402,891

City Median income vs DE
1 Laurel $48,644 -43%
2 Dagsboro $60,607 -29%
3 Bridgeville $64,879 -24%
4 Delmar $61,250 -28%
5 Blades $56,875 -33%
6 Wyoming $69,603 -18%
7 Rodney Village $43,558 -49%
8 Greenwood $73,345 -14%
9 Kent Acres $91,524 +8%
10 Woodside East $61,142 -28%

Delaware statewide median: $84,954

City Unemployment vs DE
1 Laurel 15.9% +212%
2 Dagsboro 5.5% +8%
3 Bridgeville 5.8% +14%
4 Delmar 4.6% -10%
5 Blades 11.9% +133%
6 Wyoming 12.3% +141%
7 Rodney Village 3.3% -35%
8 Greenwood 1.0% -80%
9 Kent Acres 4.5% -12%
10 Woodside East 11.9% +133%

Delaware statewide median: 5.1%

City Population vs DE
1 Laurel 4,152 —
2 Dagsboro 1,376 —
3 Bridgeville 2,745 —
4 Delmar 2,412 —
5 Blades 1,071 —
6 Wyoming 2,000 —
7 Rodney Village 1,331 —
8 Greenwood 1,564 —
9 Kent Acres 2,388 —
10 Woodside East 2,274 —

On the map

Where Delaware’s worst small towns are

10. Woodside East109. Kent Acres98. Greenwood86. Wyoming65. Blades54. Delmar43. Bridgeville32. Dagsboro21. Laurel1
  1. 1 Laurel
  2. 2 Dagsboro
  3. 3 Bridgeville
  4. 4 Delmar
  5. 5 Blades
  6. 6 Wyoming
  7. 7 Rodney Village
  8. 8 Greenwood
  9. 9 Kent Acres
  10. 10 Woodside East

Saturday Night Science

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Delaware is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Delaware, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower, the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 33 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2026, which is our eleventh time ranking the worst small places to live in Delaware.

The full plate

Worst Small Towns In Delaware

Click any column to sort. Search by town name.

RankTownPopulationUnemployment RateHome ValueMedian Income
1Laurel4,15215.9%$305,530$48,644
2Dagsboro1,3765.5%$437,413$60,607
3Bridgeville2,7455.8%$356,953$64,879
4Delmar2,4124.6%$334,952$61,250
5Blades1,07111.9%$235,408$56,875
6Wyoming2,00012.3%$302,796$69,603
7Rodney Village1,3313.3%$250,522$43,558
8Greenwood1,5641.0%$279,525$73,345
9Kent Acres2,3884.5%$345,381$91,524
10Woodside East2,27411.9%$378,512$61,142
11Frankford1,2150.2%$475,348$77,206
12Long Neck2,1611.9%$214,723$56,745
13Selbyville3,0973.8%$531,432$75,592
14Cheswold2,1437.2%$360,084$86,875
15Delaware City1,9507.5%$293,962$85,395
16Harrington3,8382.9%$275,984$72,679
17Felton1,2942.7%$388,220$59,896
18Frederica1,0623.4%$372,889$80,924
19Dover Base Housing2,96212.4%$0$82,161
20Ocean View2,8512.6%$532,880$91,500
21Riverview2,5963.2%$366,150$93,162
22Rising Sun-Lebanon4,1630.9%$446,271$113,529
23Milton3,5676.2%$477,517$80,875
24Camden4,1061.5%$403,644$63,267
25Bellefonte1,3884.9%$296,539$90,694
26Millville2,4303.9%$565,993$99,776
27Rehoboth Beach1,3706.7%$797,506$137,500
28Lewes3,5054.1%$588,290$96,393
29Clayton4,2221.3%$405,885$107,307
30Highland Acres3,7524.5%$350,698$102,356
31Greenville3,7134.2%$1,216,113$142,844
32Townsend2,8323.7%$497,294$153,000
33St. Georges1,5301.8%$530,168$131,553

Source: FBI crime data + U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 33 Delaware towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.

Summary

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Delaware

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the First State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Delaware are Laurel, Dagsboro, Bridgeville, Delmar, Blades, Wyoming, Rodney Village, Greenwood, Kent Acres, and Woodside East. Not sold on Delaware? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.

Questions and answers

Worst Small Towns In Delaware FAQs

What is the worst small town in Delaware?

Laurel is the worst small town in Delaware for 2026, according to the data. The median household income there is $48,644 and unemployment sits at 15.9%.

What are the worst small towns in Delaware?

The worst small towns in Delaware are Laurel, Dagsboro, Bridgeville, Delmar, Blades, Wyoming, Rodney Village, Greenwood, Kent Acres, and Woodside East. We ranked all 33 Delaware towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.

Why does Laurel rank as the worst small town?

Laurel posts the worst combined score on the measures we track: unemployment at 15.9%, a median income of $48,644, and a median home value of $305,530. Low housing demand and dropout rates factor in too.

Which small town in Delaware came out best?

St. Georges lands at the bottom of the worst-towns ranking, which makes it the best of the 33 small towns we scored. Our separate best small towns in Delaware ranking covers the happier end in detail.

How serious is this ranking?

The data is real — density, unemployment, housing demand, income, dropouts, and crime — but the framing is infotainment. If you love your small town, the numbers will not change that; they just say times are tougher in these 33 places.

Keep reading

More rankings worth a look

Nick Johnson
About the author

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 900,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

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