Health · Dover

Dover, DE health

Dover differs from Delaware on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (7% vs 9.1%) and fewer adults with high cholesterol (36.6% vs 41.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults facing a utility shut-off (11.5% vs 7.4%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Dover

Report card

How Dover compares with Delaware

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Dover adults…

39 of every 100 Dover adults have high blood pressure

Delaware: 38 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35.5–42.4%

Bars show Dover; the black tick is Delaware. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dover, betterDover, worseToo close to callDelaware

Get no exerciseshare of adults 33.7% Dover
DE 27.2%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 43.1% Dover
DE 35.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 12.4% Dover
DE 14.2%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.9% Dover
DE 12.6%

0%10%20%30%40%50%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Dover adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Delaware.

Yearly checkup

DE 81%

Dentist visit

DE 63%

Cholesterol check

DE 88%

Colon screening

DE 67%

Mammogram

DE 79%

Taking BP meds

DE 78%

1 in 9

working-age adults has no health insurance

Dover 10.6% · Delaware 1 in 11 (9%)

Mind & connection

How Dover adults are doing

1 in 3Dover adults feel lonely

37.8% · Delaware 31.7% · worse

1 in 4Dover adults have been diagnosed with depression

22.9% · Delaware 21.1% · too close to call

1 in 4Dover adults lack social or emotional support

24.9% · Delaware 21.6% · worse

1 in 5Dover adults are in frequent mental distress

19.6% · Delaware 15.4% · worse

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 5

Dover adults worry about having enough food

21.2% · DE 13.9% · worse

1 in 6

Dover adults worry about keeping their housing

17.6% · DE 11.6% · worse

1 in 9

Dover adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

11.5% · DE 7.4% · worse

1 in 8

Dover adults lack reliable transportation

11.8% · DE 7.7% · worse

20.2% of Dover adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Delaware.

Disability

Living with a disability

37.5%

of Dover adults live with a disability (Delaware 30.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17.3%

Thinking or memory16.9%

Hearing6.4%

Errands alone10.6%

Vision6.6%

Dressing or bathing4.7%

Black tick: Delaware. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Dover

Dover and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.

39.4%47.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#7 of 8towns on this map, healthiest first

Dover Base Housing39.4%

Kent Acres43.4%

Dover44.8%

Rodney Village47.8%

Care nearby

Bayhealth Medical Center, Kent CampusDover · 0.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER

Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex CampusMilford · 17.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER

University of Md Shore Medical Ctr at ChestertownChestertown · 29.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER

Inspira Medical Center VinelandVineland · 31.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER

Westside Family Healthcare - DoverDover · 1.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees

Goldsboro Medical and Dental CenterGoldsboro · 16.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees

! Primary careDover's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Kent County · need score 16 of 25

! Dental careDover's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Kent County · need score 13 of 25

! Mental healthDover's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Kent County · need score 15 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Dover. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Dover

Measure	Dover	Margin	Delaware
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	38.8%	35.5–42.4%	38.1%	about the same
High cholesterol	36.6%	33.2–40.3%	41.2%	better
Obesity	44.8%	38.6–51.4%	35.3%	worse
Arthritis	27%	24.5–29.8%	28.4%	about the same
Depression	22.9%	19.8–26.5%	21.1%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	19.2%	16.1–22.5%	12.7%	worse
Asthma	13.4%	11.9–15%	10.8%	worse
Cancer (not skin)	7%	6.4–7.7%	9.1%	better
Diabetes	14.5%	12.9–16.2%	13.1%	about the same
COPD	7.7%	6.9–8.6%	7.1%	about the same
Heart disease	6.4%	5.8–7.1%	6.9%	about the same
Stroke	4%	3.7–4.3%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.9%	12–15.8%	12.6%	about the same
Binge drink	12.4%	10.4–14.7%	14.2%	about the same
Get no exercise	33.7%	29.5–38.2%	27.2%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	43.1%	37.7–48.5%	35.7%	worse
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.8%	78.8–84.8%	80.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	56.2%	52.2–60%	63.1%	worse
Cholesterol check	83.5%	81.5–85.5%	87.9%	worse
Colon screening	65.4%	60.9–69.5%	67.2%	about the same
Mammogram	73.8%	67.2–79.8%	78.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	75.7%	73.4–77.9%	78.1%	worse
No health insurance	10.6%	9.2–12.3%	9%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	37.8%	34–42.1%	31.7%	worse
Lack emotional support	24.9%	22–28.3%	21.6%	worse
Frequent mental distress	19.6%	17.5–21.9%	15.4%	worse
Fair or poor health	23.3%	20.8–25.8%	18.8%	worse
Frequent physical distress	14.8%	13.2–16.5%	13.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	21.2%	19–23.8%	13.9%	worse
Housing insecurity	17.6%	15.7–19.9%	11.6%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	11.5%	10.2–13.1%	7.4%	worse
No reliable transportation	11.8%	10.5–13.2%	7.7%	worse
Receive SNAP	20.2%	17.8–22.9%	11.7%
Disability
Any disability	37.5%	33.6–41.6%	30.6%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.3%	15.5–19.1%	14.8%
Thinking or memory	16.9%	15–18.8%	13%
Hearing	6.4%	5.7–7.2%	6.7%
Vision	6.6%	6–7.2%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	4.7%	4.3–5.1%	3.7%
Errands alone	10.6%	9.5–11.7%	7.8%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Dover door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Delaware figure falls inside it, we don't call Dover better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Dover directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Delaware figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.