Market rankings · Delaware
Grocery stores in Delaware
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Delaware, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 230
- 93 chain locations (40%)
- Official establishments
- 174
- +1.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2.5B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.7
- 16% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $11M
- 19% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #6 of 51
- Market score 73 · Upper middle
A site report maps the grocery stores on map listings around any address in Delaware by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
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
Delaware has 230 grocery stores on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 40% of them, against 37% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 5.7, 16% below the U.S. rate of 6.8.
At $6,314 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in Delaware spend about $2.5B a year on groceries. Spread across 230 grocery stores, that is $11M per store, 19% above the U.S. figure of $9.3M. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only grocery stores.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in Delaware was 174 in 2023, up 1.8% from 2019. That is one for every 2,311 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count held level over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 4 SBA-backed loans worth $235K have gone to businesses classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in Delaware.
Among the 50 states and DC, Delaware ranks #6 for grocery stores, with a Groundwork market score of 73 (upper middle). Of the 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest (72). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware, the Seaford area, scores 75.
Every market in Delaware for grocery stores
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Delaware, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dover, DE | 72 | 34 | 4.8 | $12.6M | +6.8% | #48 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 41 | 1,913 | 7.8 | $9.1M | +1.4% | #253 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Seaford, DE | 75 | 71 | 6.7 | $9.3M | +16.1% | #47 of 506 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kent County, DE | 76 | 34 | 4.8 | $12.6M | +6.8% | #271 of 2,070 |
| 2Sussex County, DE | 71 | 71 | 6.7 | $9.3M | +16.1% | #393 of 2,070 |
| 3New Castle County, DE | 67 | 125 | 5.6 | $11.6M | +3.0% | #480 of 2,070 |
Questions
How many grocery stores are in Delaware?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 230 grocery stores in Delaware. 93 of them (40%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery stores and supermarkets. Official counts show 174 businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in 2023, up 1.8% from 2019.
How much do households in Delaware spend on groceries?
About $2.5B a year, or $6,314 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 100, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 230 grocery stores on map listings, it comes to $11M per store. That spending covers all groceries, which grocery stores share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 402,038 households in Delaware and national spending patterns by income.
How does Delaware compare with the U.S. for grocery stores?
Delaware has 5.7 grocery stores per 10,000 households, 16% below the U.S. rate of 6.8. Spending per store is $11M, 19% above the U.S. figure of $9.3M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery stores to household spending, Delaware would have about 273, against 230 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,311 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.8% from 2019 to 2023, against 0.0% for the U.S.
Which market in Delaware has the highest market score for grocery stores?
Among 2 scored metro areas in or partly in Delaware, the Dover metro area scores highest, at 72 (upper middle). The one scored small-town market in or partly in Delaware is the Seaford area, at 75 (high). Among 3 scored counties in Delaware, Kent County scores highest, at 76 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
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. Delaware scores 73 for grocery stores (upper middle), #6 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Delaware. It maps the grocery stores 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.
Grocery stores in other states
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Top markets for grocery stores across the U.S. · All business types in Delaware
Related business types in Delaware
- Grocery and convenience stores678 listings
- Convenience stores275 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Delaware?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.