What is the poverty rate in Delaware?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 9.5% of Delaware’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 98,500 people in Delaware were considered in poverty.
9.5%
of the population (2025)
98.5K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Delaware's poverty rate hit a peak in 2017 of 13.6%. Its lowest point was in 2022 at 9.4%. The state's poverty rate was 9.5% in 2025, 0.1 percentage points lower than the previous year.
In 2025, 9.5% of Delaware's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 98,500 people living in Delaware were in poverty — down 22.4% from the 2017 peak of 127,000.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
In 2025, 98,500 people in Delaware were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Delaware?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Delaware decreased from 19.4% to 11.7%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 11.7% to 9%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 6.2% to 8.8%.
In 2025, 11.7% of children in Delaware were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Delaware?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Delaware during 2025, four had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: White, not Hispanic or Latino; and Asian.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population shifted the most, decreasing from 29.6% in 2015 to 18.7% in 2025.
In Delaware, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population decreased from 29.6% in 2015 to 18.7% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Delaware have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Delaware counties ranged from 10.1% in New Castle County to 10.9% in Sussex County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — New Castle County — was 10.1%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Delaware counties ranged from 10.1% to 10.9%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Sussex County | 10.9% |
| 2. | Kent County | 10.6% |
| 3. | New Castle County | 10.1% |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
