Dover through time
Dover and Kent County population since 1790
The census has counted Kent County every ten years since 1790 and Dover since 1870. Each number below was read from a Census Bureau report and checked a second way.
Population by census year
We did not find a separate count for Dover before 1870 in the census reports we checked.
The numbers
| Year | Dover | Kent County | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 39,403 | 181,851 | 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), Delaware, de000012020.pl |
| 2010 | 36,047 | 162,310 | 2010 Census Gazetteer Files, places, Gaz_places_national.txt |
| 2000 | 32,135 | 126,697 | Census 2000 Gazetteer Files, places, places2k.txt |
| 1990 | 27,630 | 110,993 | 1990 Census of Population and Housing, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Delaware (CPH-2-9), p. 10 |
| 1980 | 23,507 | 98,219 | 1990 Census of Population and Housing, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Delaware (CPH-2-9), p. 10 |
| 1970 | 17,488 | 81,892 | 1990 Census of Population and Housing, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Delaware (CPH-2-9), p. 10 |
| 1960 | 7,250 | 65,651 | 1970 Census of Population, Vol. I, Part 9, Delaware, Number of Inhabitants, PDF page 17 |
| 1950 | 6,223 | 37,870 | 1950 Census of Population, Vol. I, Number of Inhabitants, p. 8-6 |
| 1940 | 5,517 | 34,441 | Sixteenth Census (1940), Population, Vol. I, Number of Inhabitants, p. 195 |
| 1930 | 4,800 | 31,841 | Sixteenth Census (1940), Population, Vol. I, Number of Inhabitants, p. 195 |
| 1920 | 4,042 | 31,023 | Sixteenth Census (1940), Population, Vol. I, Number of Inhabitants, p. 195 |
| 1910 | 3,720 | 32,721 | Thirteenth Census (1910), Vol. II, Population, Reports by States, p. 273 |
| 1900 | 3,329 | 32,762 | Thirteenth Census (1910), Vol. II, Population, Reports by States, p. 273 |
| 1890 | 3,061 | 32,664 | Thirteenth Census (1910), Vol. II, Population, Reports by States, p. 273 |
| 1880 | 2,811 | 32,874 | Tenth Census (1880), Vol. I, Statistics of the Population, p. 116 |
| 1870 | 1,906 | 29,804 | Tenth Census (1880), Vol. I, Statistics of the Population, p. 116 |
| 1860 | 27,804 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 | |
| 1850 | 22,816 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 | |
| 1840 | 19,872 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 | |
| 1830 | 19,913 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 | |
| 1820 | 20,793 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 | |
| 1810 | 20,495 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 | |
| 1800 | 19,554 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 | |
| 1790 | 18,920 | Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, p. 18 |
Kent County by status, 1790 to 1860
The census sorted people as white, free colored (the census term for free Black people) or slave. Delaware ended slavery only when the 13th Amendment took effect in December 1865.
| Year | White | Free Black | Enslaved | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 14,050 | 2,570 | 2,300 | 18,920 |
| 1800 | 13,823 | 4,246 | 1,485 | 19,554 |
| 1810 | 14,151 | 5,616 | 728 | 20,495 |
| 1820 | 14,190 | 5,533 | 1,070 | 20,793 |
| 1830 | 13,654 | 5,671 | 588 | 19,913 |
| 1840 | 13,618 | 5,827 | 427 | 19,872 |
| 1850 | 16,084 | 6,385 | 347 | 22,816 |
| 1860 | 20,330 | 7,271 | 203 | 27,804 |
Who lives in Dover, 1970 to today
More detail about Dover city from the census, gathered by IPUMS NHGIS at the University of Minnesota.
The Census Bureau changes its categories over time. We grouped the old and new categories into plain groups so the years can be compared. The fit is close but not exact. A span such as 2020-2024 is the American Community Survey. It asks a sample of homes, so it is an estimate with a margin of error. Single years are the full census.
Age of Dover residents
The share of all residents in each age group. The median age is the age in the middle: half of residents are younger and half are older.
| Census or survey | Under 18 | 18 to 24 | 25 to 44 | 45 to 64 | 65 and older | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2024 | 20.3% | 16.7% | 26.4% | 19.1% | 17.5% | 34.7 |
| 2020 | 21.2% | 17.3% | 24.5% | 20.5% | 16.5% | 32.8 |
| 2010 | 21.5% | 18.8% | 24% | 21.2% | 14.4% | 31.3 |
| 2000 | 23.5% | 15.7% | 27.9% | 19.5% | 13.3% | 32.9 |
| 1990 | 23.3% | 18.4% | 30.5% | 17.4% | 10.4% | |
| 1980 | 26.2% | 22.4% | 27.1% | 16.6% | 7.8% | 25.8 |
| 1970 | 35.4% | 16.2% | 25.6% | 16.4% | 6.4% |
Owners and renters
Homes with someone living in them, by whether the household owns or rents.
| Census or survey | Owned | Rented | Share rented |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2024 | 7,230 | 8,198 | 53.1% |
| 2020 | 7,116 | 8,039 | 53% |
| 2010 | 7,150 | 6,621 | 48.1% |
| 2000 | 6,454 | 5,886 | 47.7% |
| 1990 | 5,336 | 4,567 | 46.1% |
| 1980 | 4,256 | 3,428 | 44.6% |
| 1970 | 2,992 | 2,065 | 40.8% |
Household income
The median household income: half of households made more and half made less. The census asks about the year before, so the 1980 census gives 1979 income. A survey span gives income in its last year. Prices rise over time, so old dollars bought more. The first money column is the number the census printed, in dollars of that year. The second is the same income in 2024 dollars, adjusted with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Census or survey | Income year | As printed (dollars of that year) | In 2024 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2024 | 2024 | $60,199 | $60,199 |
| 2011-2015 | 2015 | $45,363 | $60,037 |
| 2006-2010 | 2010 | $46,195 | $66,455 |
| 2000 | 1999 | $38,669 | $72,809 |
| 1990 | 1989 | $31,308 | $79,201 |
| 1980 | 1979 | $17,043 | $73,639 |
What kind of work Dover residents do
The share of working Dover residents in each kind of work, wherever their job is. From 2000 on, only civilian workers are counted. In 2000 the census switched to a new list of industries.
| Kind of work | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2006-2010 | 2020-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools, health care and social services | 25.3% | 28.5% | 27.9% | 23.4% | 32.2% | 28.7% |
| Government offices | 11% | 15% | 11.6% | 13.6% | 10.2% | 6.7% |
| Stores, restaurants, hotels and personal services | 19.7% | 22.5% | 24.1% | 25.8% | 27.2% | 27.9% |
| Banks, insurance, real estate and office services | 7.1% | 6.8% | 9.5% | 14.5% | 13.9% | 14.6% |
| Building, trucking, utilities, wholesale and farming | 14.1% | 13.7% | 12.4% | 13.6% | 8.7% | 14.5% |
| Factories | 22.7% | 13.5% | 14.5% | 9% | 7.9% | 7.5% |
| Workers counted | 5,443 | 9,648 | 12,767 | 14,174 | 14,988 | 18,305 |
Dover at a glance, 2020-2024
How Dover residents get to work, what housing costs them, and more, next to Kent County and all of Delaware. These numbers come from the American Community Survey for 2020-2024.
The survey asks a sample of homes, so each number is an estimate. The number after the plus or minus sign is the margin of error: the Census Bureau is 90 percent sure the true share is within that many points. When two numbers are closer together than their margins, the survey cannot tell them apart. Small groups, like people who bike to work, have wide margins. Each share is out of the group named under it.
| Dover city | Kent County | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone to work (of workers 16 and older) | ||
| 72.8% ±2.4 | 77.5% ±1.6 | 71.7% ±0.6 |
| Carpooled (of workers 16 and older) | ||
| 9.0% ±1.9 | 9.4% ±1.1 | 7.8% ±0.4 |
| Took the bus or other public transit (of workers 16 and older) | ||
| 1.2% ±0.7 | 1.0% ±0.3 | 1.8% ±0.2 |
| Walked to work (of workers 16 and older) | ||
| 6.0% ±2.3 | 1.9% ±0.5 | 2.0% ±0.2 |
| Biked to work (of workers 16 and older) | ||
| 0.4% ±0.5 | 0.3% ±0.3 | 0.3% ±0.1 |
| Worked from home (of workers 16 and older) | ||
| 9.0% ±1.8 | 8.7% ±0.8 | 15.0% ±0.5 |
| Trip to work under 15 minutes (of workers 16 and older who do not work from home) | ||
| 45.4% ±4.0 | 28.8% ±1.8 | 24.8% ±0.7 |
| Trip to work 45 minutes or more (of workers 16 and older who do not work from home) | ||
| 19.0% ±3.2 | 18.6% ±1.5 | 15.5% ±0.6 |
| Dover city | Kent County | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Households with no car, truck or van (of households) | ||
| 11.6% ±2.6 | 6.6% ±0.9 | 6.2% ±0.4 |
| Dover city | Kent County | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| People below the poverty line (of people whose poverty status is known) | ||
| 15.0% ±3.1 | 10.6% ±1.0 | 10.4% ±0.4 |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line (of children under 18 whose poverty status is known) | ||
| 22.7% ±5.2 | 14.8% ±1.8 | 15.0% ±0.8 |
| People 65 and older below the poverty line (of people 65 and older whose poverty status is known) | ||
| 13.6% ±3.7 | 8.6% ±1.2 | 7.6% ±0.4 |
| Dover city | Kent County | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30% or more of income for rent (of renting households whose rent share could be figured) | ||
| 58.4% ±7.4 | 52.5% ±4.1 | 49.6% ±2.0 |
| Renters paying 50% or more of income for rent (of renting households whose rent share could be figured) | ||
| 24.3% ±5.7 | 24.3% ±3.4 | 23.8% ±1.6 |
| Owners with a mortgage paying 30% or more of income for housing (of owners with a mortgage whose cost share could be figured) | ||
| 36.2% ±7.4 | 27.9% ±2.4 | 25.9% ±1.0 |
| Typical monthly cost for owners with a mortgage (median, dollars) (of owners with a mortgage, dollars a month) | ||
| $1,686 ±105 | $1,741 ±38 | $1,816 ±16 |
| Dover city | Kent County | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| People with a disability (of people not living in group quarters such as nursing homes or prisons) | ||
| 17.7% ±2.0 | 16.6% ±0.8 | 14.1% ±0.3 |
| People with no health insurance (of people not living in group quarters such as nursing homes or prisons) | ||
| 7.6% ±1.5 | 6.6% ±0.6 | 6.3% ±0.2 |
| Dover city | Kent County | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans, among adults not in the military (of civilians 18 and older) | ||
| 9.3% ±1.4 | 10.9% ±0.7 | 7.4% ±0.2 |
| Households that speak a language other than English at home (of households) | ||
| 16.3% ±2.7 | 13.3% ±1.1 | 16.4% ±0.5 |
| Households where no one 14 or older speaks only English or speaks English very well (of households) | ||
| 2.0% ±1.0 | 1.6% ±0.4 | 2.6% ±0.2 |
| Dover city | Kent County | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Households with broadband internet (of households) | ||
| 91.3% ±0.9 | 91.1% ±1.1 | 92.4% ±0.5 |
| Households with no computer, smartphone or tablet (of households) | ||
| 6.2% ±1.6 | 5.1% ±0.9 | 3.8% ±0.3 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, and the 1970 to 2000 census, through IPUMS NHGIS. Each table name links to the table on data.census.gov.
Getting to work and poverty in Dover since 1970
Full census counts for 1970 to 2000 and survey estimates after. Before 2005 the census counted cars, trucks and vans together, so carpooling is inside the car share. The lowest working age the census counted changed over these years, so the older numbers are close to, not exactly, the same group. The census used the city limits of each year.
| Census or survey | Car, truck or van | Public transit | Walked | Worked from home | Below poverty line | Children below poverty line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2024 | 81.8% ±1.7 | 1.2% ±0.7 | 6.0% ±2.3 | 9.0% ±1.8 | 15.0% ±3.1 | 22.7% ±5.2 |
| 2015-2019 | 88.5% ±2.5 | 1.7% ±0.7 | 5.4% ±1.3 | 3.2% ±1.0 | 24.4% ±3.5 | 40.1% ±5.3 |
| 2010-2014 | 87.9% ±2.5 | 2.6% ±1.4 | 4.1% ±1.4 | 3.8% ±1.1 | 19.0% ±3.3 | 32.6% ±4.5 |
| 2005-2009 | 89.8% ±2.4 | 2.6% ±1.3 | 3.7% ±1.0 | 2.8% ±0.9 | 15.9% ±2.9 | 28.1% ±5.1 |
| 2000 | 89.8% | 1.0% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 13.8% | 19.8% |
| 1990 | 90.2% | 0.6% | 5.4% | 2.0% | 12.5% | 20.4% |
| 1980 | 84.2% | 0.5% | 11.6% | 0.7% | 13.7% | 20.5% |
| 1970 | 87.9% | 0.4% | 4.9% | 1.7% | 11.6% |
Sources
- Tenth Census (1880), Vol. I, Statistics of the Population, Table III, Delaware, population of civil divisions less than counties, 1880 and 1870, p. 116
- Thirteenth Census (1910), Vol. II, Population, Reports by States, Delaware, Table 1, population of minor civil divisions 1910, 1900 and 1890, p. 273
- Sixteenth Census (1940), Population, Vol. I, Number of Inhabitants, Delaware, Table 4, population of counties by minor civil divisions 1920 to 1940, p. 195
- 1950 Census of Population, Vol. I, Number of Inhabitants, Delaware, Table 7, population of incorporated places 1950 and 1940, p. 8-6
- 1970 Census of Population, Vol. I, Part 9, Delaware, Number of Inhabitants, Table 7, population of incorporated places of 10,000 or more, 1900 to 1970, PDF page 17
- 1990 Census of Population and Housing, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Delaware (CPH-2-9), Table 9, population and housing units 1970 to 1990 (places); 1980 shown as revised, p. 10
- Census 2000 Gazetteer Files, places, Dover city (GEOID 1021200), Census 2000 population, places2k.txt
- 2010 Census Gazetteer Files, places, Dover city (1021200), POP10, Gaz_places_national.txt
- 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), Delaware, P1, total population (P1_001N), de000012020.pl
- Ninth Census of the United States (1870), Vol. I, The Statistics of the Population, Table II, State of Delaware, population by counties 1790 to 1870 (aggregate, white, free colored, slave), p. 18
- Tenth Census (1880), Vol. I, Statistics of the Population, Table II, Delaware, aggregate population by counties 1790 to 1880, p. 54
- 1990 Census of Population and Housing, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Delaware (CPH-2-9), Table 3, population and housing units 1940 to 1990 (counties), p. 2
- Census 2000 Gazetteer Files, counties, Kent County (10001), Census 2000 population, county2k.txt
- 2010 Census Gazetteer Files, counties, Kent County (10001), POP10, Gaz_counties_national.txt
- NHGIS time series B57 (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS 1970 Census, Count 4Pa, table NT117 Industry (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS time series B37 (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS time series B79 (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS 1980 Census, STF 3, table NT65 Industry (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS time series D13 (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS 1990 Census, STF 3, table NP77 Industry (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS 2000 Census, SF 3, table NP049C Sex by Industry (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS American Community Survey 2006-2010, table C24030 Sex by Industry (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- NHGIS American Community Survey 2020-2024, table C24030 Sex by Industry (IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, annual averages
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B08201, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B08301, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B08303, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17001, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B18101, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B21001, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25088, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25091, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B27001, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B28001, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B28002, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C16002, Dover city (via IPUMS NHGIS)
IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, www.nhgis.org. Jonathan Schroeder, David Van Riper, Steven Manson, Grace Cooper, Zachary Krause, Tracy Kugler, Tsu Zhu, and Steven Ruggles. IPUMS National Historical Geographic Information System: Version 21.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. 2026. http://doi.org/10.18128/D050.V21.0