Wilmington, Delaware Population 2024

72,291

Wilmington is a city located in New Castle County Delaware. Wilmington has a 2024 population of 72,291. It is also the county seat of New Castle County. Wilmington is currently growing at a rate of 0.5% annually and its population has increased by 2.04% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 70,847 in 2020.

The average household income in Wilmington is $78,311 with a poverty rate of 24.27%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Wilmington is 36.9 years, 35.8 years for males, and 38.5 years for females.

Wilmington is a city located in the state of Delaware. Wilmington is located in New Castle County, where it is designated as the county seat.

Wilmington Population Statistics

The State of Delaware is the top employer in Wilmington, providing jobs to approximately 13,000 people. Christiana Care Health System is another major employer with over 10,000 jobs. DuPont, Bank of America and Walmart are other top employers in the city.

Wilmington Population Growth

The population of Wilmington during its earliest years grew quite rapidly. At the time of the 1850 census, nearly 14,000 people were living in the city. This number had more than doubled just 20 years later. In 1920, the statistics showed that the population had well exceeded 100,000 people. In 1940, the population peaked at 112,504. However, the population declined rapidly after this, dropping to 70,195 in 1980, the lowest it had been in the 20th century. The census of 2010 showed that the population had fallen since 2000 by 2.5%. While recent estimates indicate that the population is up 0.8% since 2010, future growth is uncertain, primarily due to the high crime rates that the city has experienced in recent years.

Wilmington was initially inhabited by the Lenape tribe during the 17th century. The area at the time was referred to as “Bear Place” after the Bear River. The first settlers to arrive were from Sweden. The region that is now Wilmington was the first Swedish settlement in the United States. The settlement was purchased by Peter Minuit and settlers and traders of the Swedish South Company in 1638 and was named Fort Christina. In the 1600s, a Dutch fleet arrived in the area and took control from the Swedes.

It was in 1664 when the British made their way to the area. The Dutch and English went to battle through several wars, but then the region went into the control of the British and the area stabilized. In the 18th century, the city was designated as a borough, and the name was changed from Willington as it was known to Wilmington.

In the 19th century, gunpowder was manufactured in the area and led to the development of a mill along the Brandywine River. This company became a supplier of gunpowder to the U.S. military and was annexed by Wilmington. It was during the Civil War when the city saw explosive growth. The economy was thriving as there was a high demand for products that were produced in Wilmington, including shoes, gunpowder and railroad cars.

By the end of the 1860s, the city’s boundaries expanded, making Wilmington even larger. The city was prosperous, primarily because it was ranked first in the nation in the production of gunpowder and was also a top producer of iron ships. During this period, the city also established a park system.

In the 20th century, the city continued to prosper as it continued to provide products for World War II, including steel, machinery, automobiles, and clothing. After World War II, the city’s boundaries expanded again. However, the population began to drop in 1950 when updated roads and highways made it possible for more people to live in the suburbs and commute to the city for work. In the 1960s, trouble struck Wilmington following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The National Guard was deployed because of the riots and civil unrest from 1968 through 1969.

The city’s population grew again in the 1980s when more banks and financial institutions came to Wilmington. These businesses still play an essential role in the city’s economy. However, in more recent years, the population has suffered, primarily because of high rates of crime, as Wilmington has consistently been ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the nation.

Wilmington Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Wilmington was:

  • Black or African American: 53.66%
  • White: 34.34%
  • Two or more races: 5.45%
  • Other race: 5.11%
  • Asian: 1.34%
  • Native American: 0.07%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.04%
Land Area (mi²)
10.9 sq mi
Density (mi²)
6,629.70/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
2.04% (1,444)
The current population of Wilmington, Delaware is 72,291 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 70,847.

Wilmington, Delaware Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Black or African American38,11453.66%
White24,39234.34%
Two or more races3,8705.45%
Other race3,6305.11%
Asian9491.34%
Native American480.07%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander310.04%

Black or African American

White

Two or more races

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Wilmington Population by Race

Wilmington Population Pyramid 2024

Wilmington Median Age

36.9

Total

35.8

Male

38.5

Female

Wilmington Adults

There are 55,570 adults, (10,296 of whom are seniors) in Wilmington.

Wilmington Age Dependency

56.9

Age Dependency Ratio

22.7

Old Age Dependency Ratio

34.2

Child Dependency Ratio

Wilmington Sex Ratio

Female37,97253.46%
Male33,06246.54%

Wilmington Population by Age

Wilmington Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All31,6502.1645.154.9
Non Family17,1451.1436.863.2
Married6,9253.1672.227.8
Female6,0543.5737.162.9
Male1,5263.4648.251.8

3.26

Average Family Size

2.16

Average Household Size

45.1%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Wilmington Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Wilmington Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Wilmington Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 75.2%.

Wilmington Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$45,619

Average Earnings

$48,842

Average Male

$41,755

Average Female

Wilmington Earnings by Educational Attainment

Wilmington Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Wilmington Language

87.78% of Wilmington residents speak only English, while 12.22% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 8.58% of the population.

Wilmington Language

Wilmington Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black36,95610,76429.13%
Hispanic7,8062,75135.24%
White20,3732,33711.47%
Other3,5281,41139.99%
Multiple3,8221,17730.8%
Native483675%
Asian940323.4%
Islander31825.81%

24.27%

Overall Poverty Rate

23.3%

Male Poverty Rate

25.07%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Wilmington

The race most likely to be in poverty in Wilmington is Native, with 75% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Wilmington is Asian, with 3.4% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.83%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.64%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 38.6%.

Wilmington Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade42.06%
High School24.15%
Some College16.76%
Bachelors or Greater5.5%

Wilmington Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed35.93%
Male Unemployed29.99%
Female Employed10.97%
Male Employed6.75%

Wilmington Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Wilmington Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Wilmington Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

28.0%

Overall Marriage Rate

30.4%

Male Marriage Rate

25.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Wilmington Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Wilmington Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Wilmington Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Wilmington Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

2,998

Number of Veterans

2,716

Male Veterans

282

Female Veterans

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Wilmington Veterans by War

count

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Wilmington Veterans by Age

count

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Wilmington Veterans by Race

Wilmington Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

18.36%

Veteran Poverty Rate

42.14%

Veteran Disability Rate

Wilmington Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

65.3%

Labor Force Participation

59.4%

Employment Rate

8.6%

Unemployment Rate

Wilmington Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Wilmington Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Wilmington Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

52.34%

Born in Wilmington

92.03%

Native Born

7.97%

Foreign Born

3.87%

Non Citizen

4.1%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

92.03% of Wilmington residents were born in the United States, with 52.34% having been born in Delaware. 3.87% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Wilmington Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
202974,0963610.49%
202873,7353610.49%
202773,3743610.49%
202673,0133610.5%
202572,6523610.5%
202472,2913610.5%
202371,9303610.5%
202271,5697461.05%
202170,823-24-0.03%
202070,8474750.67%
201970,372-201-0.28%
201870,573-214-0.3%
201770,787-260-0.37%
201671,047-205-0.29%
201571,252-59-0.08%
201471,31190.01%
201371,3021640.23%
201271,1381880.26%
201170,9501160.16%
201070,83400%
200072,6641,1351.59%
199071,5291,3341.9%
198070,195-10,191-12.68%
197080,386-15,441-16.11%
196095,827-14,529-13.17%
1950110,356-2,148-1.91%
1940112,5045,9075.54%
1930106,597-3,571-3.24%
1920110,16822,75726.03%
191087,41110,90314.25%
190076,50815,07724.54%
189061,43118,95344.62%
188042,47811,63737.73%
187030,8419,58345.08%
186021,2587,27952.07%
185013,9795,61267.07%
18408,367-65,729-88.71%
showing: 37 rows

Wilmington Population by Year