Smyrna and Dover receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Smyrna
Dover
Opportunity
26 · Bottom 4%
vs22 · Bottom 2%
Growth
65 · Top 25%
vs55 · Top 42%
Climate
71 · Top 47%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
71 · Top 35%
vs75 · Top 31%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs65 · Bottom 27%
Access
76 · Bottom 18%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Smyrna | Dover | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,165 | 39,837 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,048 | $60,199 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,778 | $31,743 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,054/sq mi | 1,673/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $291,400 | $258,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,534 | $1,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 46.9% | 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 | 21.6% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% | 15.0% | 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 | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 47.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 44 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.0 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.99 | 17.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.3% | 16.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.5% | 30.9% | 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
Smyrna
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Dover
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Smyrna, DE · Dover, DE · How this is calculated: methodology