Kent County vs New Castle County
Kent County, Delaware versus New Castle County, Delaware: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Kent County edges out New Castle County on overall objective livability (48 vs 43 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kent County | New Castle County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $69k | $85k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $58k |
| Home Value | $272k | $312k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.47% | 0.76% |
| Income Tax | 6.60% | 7.44% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.46% | 10.21% |
| Unemployment | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 34°F | 33°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.6 in | 47.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 13.1 in | 18.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 219 days | 188 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 84 days | 89 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 84.5 | 95.3 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 72.2 | 86.5 |
| Violent Crime | 1825/100k | 1344/100k |
| Property Crime | 1947/100k | 2121/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 182,400 | 570,567 |
| Median Age | 38.5 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.55 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+38 |
| White (%) | 58.6% | 54.6% |
| Black (%) | 25.5% | 24.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.8% | 10.8% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 5.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.9% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 8.5/20 | 11.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 56 mi | 29 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.2% | 91.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.30 | 0.40 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kent County or New Castle County more affordable?
- Kent County has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Kent County's $54k and New Castle County's $58k. Median rent is $1k in Kent County versus $1k in New Castle County.
- Is Kent County or New Castle County safer?
- New Castle County has the lower violent crime rate. Kent County reports 1825/100k and New Castle County reports 1344/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kent County or New Castle County?
- The median home value is $272k in Kent County and $312k in New Castle County, so homes are more affordable in Kent County.