19977 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
19977
19901
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 7%
vs22 · Bottom 3%
Growth
64 · Top 25%
vs54 · Top 43%
Climate
71 · Top 47%
vs70 · Bottom 48%
Physical resilience
71 · Top 34%
vs74 · Top 30%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 39%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
46 · Bottom 43%
vs29 · Bottom 22%
Access
77 · Bottom 18%
vs73 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 32%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | 19977 | 19901 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,704 | 37,763 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,826 | $66,388 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,437 | $33,487 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 333/sq mi | 498/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $341,000 | $273,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,468 | $1,398 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.0% | 55.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.5% | -2.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 14.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 57 | 259 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 6.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 171.4% | -20.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 43.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 43 mi | 49 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.3 min | 24.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.1 | 33.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.99 | 15.60 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.3% | 16.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.5% | 30.8% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
19977
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
19901
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 19977 — Smyrna, DE · 19901 — Dover, DE · How this is calculated: methodology