County profile · Delaware
New Castle County, DE market data
How New Castle County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 588,026
- +3.0% since 2020
- Households
- 224,173
- Median household income
- $91,166
- +23.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $352,200
- Jobs located here
- 298,174
- Highest market score
- 84
- Pet grooming and boarding, #27 of 1,461 scored counties
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in New Castle County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of New Castle County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
New Castle County has an estimated 588,026 people and 224,173 households. Population estimates show New Castle County grew 3.0% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). Median household income in New Castle County is $91,166, 13% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 23.4%, before inflation.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in New Castle County runs highest on vehicle insurance (an index of 118, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (91).
Of the business types scored in New Castle County, pet grooming and boarding businesses (84), veterinarians (84) and pet businesses (79) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For pet grooming and boarding businesses, that ranks #27 of 1,461 scored counties.
New Castle County is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for primary care and pediatric clinics (44% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for yoga, Pilates and fitness studios (46% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in New Castle County
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares New Castle County with other counties for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among counties | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pet grooming and boarding | 84 | #27 of 1,461 | 60 | 2.7 | $3.8M | 151 | 30 |
| Veterinarians | 84 | #50 of 1,485 | 56 | 2.5 | $4.1M | 151 | 45 |
| Pet businesses | 79 | #81 of 2,200 | 184 | 8.2 | $1.3M | 142 | 103 |
| Gas stations | 75 | #248 of 2,358 | 155 | 6.9 | $3.9M | 165 | 117 |
| Convenience stores | 73 | #344 of 2,261 | 146 | 6.5 | $9.9M | 126 | 67 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 71 | #52 of 479 | 8 | 0.4 | $24.5M | 179 | 10 |
| Home inspectors | 70 | #55 of 415 | 6 | 0.3 | Index only | 235 | 12 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 69 | #458 of 2,402 | 352 | 15.7 | $4.1M | 121 | 175 |
| Laundromats | 68 | #183 of 785 | 33 | 1.5 | $14.4M | 115 | 13 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 68 | #255 of 1,707 | 141 | 6.3 | $5.1M | 107 | 188 |
| Grocery stores | 67 | #480 of 2,070 | 125 | 5.6 | $11.6M | 125 | 108 |
| Roofing and gutters | 65 | #259 of 1,177 | 91 | 4.1 | $7.9M | 93 | 39 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 64 | #372 of 1,493 | 129 | 5.8 | $2.9M | 97 | 239 |
| Insurance agencies | 64 | #658 of 2,272 | 271 | 12.1 | $1.9M | 152 | 192 |
| Electricians | 63 | #290 of 1,160 | 64 | 2.9 | $11.2M | 94 | 156 |
| Funeral homes | 63 | #405 of 1,472 | 45 | 2.0 | $706K | 104 | 26 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 63 | #506 of 2,063 | 214 | 9.5 | $4.5M | 121 | 130 |
| Pet stores | 62 | #282 of 974 | 42 | 1.9 | $5.5M | 121 | 28 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 62 | #377 of 1,302 | 93 | 4.1 | $3M | 95 | 27 |
| Home repair trades | 62 | #502 of 2,057 | 296 | 13.2 | $2.4M | 100 | 383 |
| Pest control | 61 | #213 of 699 | 41 | 1.8 | $9M | 88 | 29 |
| Hair salons | 61 | #634 of 2,339 | 412 | 18.4 | $545K | 127 | 157 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 61 | #689 of 2,222 | 268 | 12.0 | $3.6M | 117 | 513 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 60 | #432 of 1,327 | 57 | 2.5 | $3.4M | 112 | 46 |
| Tire shops | 58 | #574 of 1,530 | 78 | 3.5 | $2.5M | 100 | 30 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 58 | #624 of 1,889 | 217 | 9.7 | $4.4M | 106 | 147 |
| Pizza | 58 | #719 of 2,090 | 185 | 8.3 | $5.2M | 102 | 513 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 56 | #256 of 777 | 30 | 1.3 | $6.8M | 167 | 113 |
| House cleaning | 56 | #299 of 847 | 57 | 2.5 | $6.5M | 101 | 173 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 56 | #647 of 1,771 | 227 | 10.1 | $1.6M | 97 | 441 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 56 | #923 of 2,405 | 2,335 | 104.2 | $410K | 110 | 1,096 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 54 | #897 of 2,087 | 334 | 14.9 | $1.4M | 112 | 193 |
| Dry cleaners | 53 | #231 of 507 | 26 | 1.2 | $18.2M | 116 | 33 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 53 | #1,051 of 2,405 | 1,385 | 61.8 | $691K | 104 | 448 |
| Auto repair and car care | 52 | #1,133 of 2,401 | 726 | 32.4 | $270K | 101 | 293 |
| Auto repair shops | 51 | #1,144 of 2,378 | 434 | 19.4 | $452K | 102 | 208 |
| Spas and skin care | 50 | #887 of 1,769 | 219 | 9.8 | $1M | 117 | 70 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 50 | #1,133 of 2,210 | 498 | 22.2 | $951K | 108 | 239 |
| Gyms | 49 | #949 of 1,792 | 170 | 7.6 | $1.2M | 92 | 113 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 49 | #1,102 of 2,088 | 313 | 14.0 | $649K | 98 | 194 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 47 | #755 of 1,334 | 113 | 5.0 | $1.8M | 89 | 81 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 47 | #1,235 of 2,176 | 610 | 27.2 | Index only | 111 | 226 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 46 | #1,095 of 1,886 | 246 | 11.0 | $1.1M | 115 | 213 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 46 | #1,404 of 2,385 | 934 | 41.7 | $240K | 113 | 364 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 45 | #199 of 325 | 16 | 0.7 | $17.3M | 71 | 18 |
| Property management | 45 | #536 of 910 | 76 | 3.4 | Index only | 88 | 144 |
| Barbershops | 45 | #832 of 1,356 | 124 | 5.5 | $1.8M | 96 | 27 |
| Chiropractors | 44 | #903 of 1,490 | 141 | 6.3 | $2M | 82 | 83 |
| Child care and preschools | 43 | #1,014 of 1,611 | 180 | 8.0 | $706K | 70 | 225 |
| Real estate | 42 | #1,526 of 2,229 | 796 | 35.5 | Index only | 107 | 517 |
| Car washes and detailing | 41 | #959 of 1,451 | 99 | 4.4 | $2M | 79 | 39 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 40 | #617 of 887 | 104 | 4.6 | Index only | 91 | 66 |
| Nail salons | 40 | #949 of 1,328 | 151 | 6.7 | $1.5M | 89 | 105 |
| Physical therapy | 40 | #989 of 1,422 | 145 | 6.5 | $1.9M | 80 | 109 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 39 | #1,193 of 1,656 | 234 | 10.4 | $1.2M | 67 | 351 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 34 | #1,949 of 2,394 | 2,204 | 98.3 | $126K | 83 | 801 |
Household spending in New Castle County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $196.2M | $875 | 91 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $611M | $2,725 | 105 |
| Food away from home | $956.5M | $4,267 | 105 |
| Groceries | $1.4B | $6,461 | 102 |
| Personal care products and services | $224.4M | $1,001 | 100 |
| Child care and other personal services | $127M | $567 | 98 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $203.1M | $906 | 92 |
| Medical and dental services | $277.4M | $1,237 | 96 |
| Pets | $230.1M | $1,026 | 113 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $473.6M | $2,113 | 103 |
| Vehicle insurance | $518.8M | $2,314 | 118 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $718.8M | $3,206 | 106 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $367.8M | $1,641 | 116 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $3.7B | $16,511 | 99 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in New Castle County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 588,026+3.0% since 2020
- Households
- 224,173
- Median age
- 40.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 69%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 426 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,356
- Median household income
- $91,166+23.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $120,517
- Median home value
- $352,200
- Jobs located here
- 298,174
- Daytime population
- 607,117Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in New Castle County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of New Castle County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Nearest counties in Delaware 2
- Kent County, DE187,604 people
- Sussex County, DE255,626 people
Questions
How fast is New Castle County, DE growing?
Population estimates put New Castle County at 588,026 people in 2025, up 3.0% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 224,173 households. Median household income rose 23.4% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
How much do households in New Castle County, DE spend?
Households in New Castle County spend about $3.7B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $1.4B on groceries and $956.5M on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in New Castle County spend the most on vehicle insurance (an index of 118, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on vehicle maintenance and repairs (91).
Which business types have the highest market scores in New Castle County, DE?
The highest Groundwork market scores in New Castle County are for pet grooming and boarding businesses (84), veterinarians (84) and pet businesses (79). New Castle County ranks #27 of 1,461 scored counties for pet grooming and boarding businesses.
How does New Castle County, DE compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in New Castle County is $91,166 a year, 13% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 3.0% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $352,200, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, New Castle County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for primary care and pediatric clinics (44% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for yoga, Pilates and fitness studios (46% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. All 56 business types have a score in New Castle County, each ranked against other counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in New Castle County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Delaware · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in New Castle County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of New Castle County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.