Groceries and convenience · County · Delaware
Grocery stores in New Castle County, DE
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for grocery stores in New Castle County, DE, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 67 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #480 of 2,070 scored counties
#3 of 3 scored counties in Delaware
- Listings
- 125
- 51 chain locations (41%)
- Official establishments
- 108
- +1.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.4B
- On groceries · $6,461 a household
- Spending per listing
- $11.6M
- 25% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.6
- 18% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 588,026
- +3.0% since 2020
See the grocery stores around any address in New Castle County
The site report maps the grocery stores on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 125 grocery stores in New Castle County. Of those, 51 are chain locations, or 41%, against 37% across the U.S. That comes to 5.6 for every 10,000 households, 18% below the U.S. rate of 6.8.
At $6,461 per household (2% above the U.S. average), households in New Castle County spend about $1.4B a year on groceries. That works out to $11.6M per store, 25% above the U.S. figure of $9.3M. That spending covers all groceries, which grocery stores share with other businesses in the trade.
Official counts show 108 businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in New Castle County in 2023, up 1.9% from 2019. That is one for every 2,076 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $50K has gone to businesses classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in New Castle County.
Population estimates show New Castle County grew 3.0% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). New Castle County scores 67 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for grocery stores, ranking #480 of 2,070 scored counties and #3 of 3 scored counties in Delaware. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How New Castle County compares
The same measures for Delaware and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all groceries by the grocery stores counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | New Castle County | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 5.6 | 5.7 | 6.8 |
| Spending per listing | $11.6M | $11M | $9.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 2,076 | 2,311 | 2,053 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +1.9% | +1.8% | 0.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.0% | +6.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on groceries | $6,461 | $6,314 | $6,319 |
| Median household income | $91,166 | $84,954 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 67 | 73 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 106 → 108+1.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 4,777
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $144M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 12551 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 156The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $50K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in New Castle County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
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 grocery stores on map listings by name and distance.
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 cardGrocery stores across Delaware
Every Delaware market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Delaware for grocery stores, numbered among those based in Delaware, with New Castle County marked.
Top counties in Delaware
| 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 |
Other business types in New Castle County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
- Grocery and convenience stores69
- Grocery stores67
- Convenience stores73
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many grocery stores are in New Castle County, DE?
New Castle County has 125 grocery stores on map listings as of September 2026. 51 of them (41%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery stores and supermarkets. Official counts show 108 businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in 2023, up 1.9% from 2019.
How much do households in New Castle County, DE spend on groceries?
About $1.4B a year, or $6,461 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 125 grocery stores on map listings, it comes to $11.6M per store. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only grocery stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 224,173 households in New Castle County and national spending patterns by income.
How does New Castle County, DE compare with the U.S. for grocery stores?
New Castle County has 5.6 grocery stores per 10,000 households, 18% below the U.S. rate of 6.8. Spending per store is $11.6M, 25% above the U.S. figure of $9.3M. At the national ratio of grocery stores to household spending, New Castle County would have about 156, against 125 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,076 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.9% from 2019 to 2023, against 0.0% for the U.S.
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 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.
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. New Castle County scores 67 for grocery stores (upper middle), #480 of 2,070 scored 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 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.
How the score works · Top markets for grocery stores · All 56 business types in New Castle County
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.