New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The city is located six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington and is situated on the Delaware River. As of 2020, the city's population was 5,551. New Castle constitutes part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How New Castle ranks

All →

#3Most remote workers in DE #4Most conserved land in DE #7Fewest smokers in DE All DE rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code19720, 19721, 19726

Area code302

Living in New Castle

Housing in New Castle

$282K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical New Castle home is worth about $282,000, about the same as a year ago, 31% below the Delaware typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market27

Sale-to-list99.6%

Sold in May12

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in New Castle

Safety Grade D

New Castle reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 89% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

New Castle 3.5

Delaware 3.5

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

New Castle 23.1

Delaware 15.8

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in New Castle

Full picture →

Most working residents leave New Castle for work: only 8% work in town. The top destinations are Wilmington (12%), Philadelphia (3%) and Dover (3%). Half commute less than 7 miles.

Wilmington

12%

Philadelphia, PA

Dover

Newark

8%Work in townlive and work in New Castle 7 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 14,538Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in New Castle →

Health in New Castle

B⁺

Health Grade B+

Healthier than 72% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Delaware

2better than DE

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 30 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 11 close Habits all close Care 1▲ 6 close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.8%Fewer older adults who have lost all their teethDE 12.7% · better 67%More adults seeing a dentistDE 63.1% · better

Care nearby

Wilmington VA Medical CenterWilmington · 5.2 mi · ER

Henrietta Johnson Medical CenterWilmington · 4.2 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · part of New Castle

DentalShortage · part of New Castle

Mental healthShortage · part of New Castle

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for New Castle · CMS · HRSAHealth in New Castle →

Natural hazards in New Castle

Very low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 11% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🏚️ Earthquakes🌊 Coastal flooding

32Does New Castle flood?paid flood claims since 1978 3Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to New Castle

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in New Castle →

Climate in New Castle

Full climate →

New Castle has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

44° / 27°Winter

64° / 43°Spring

85° / 65°Summer

67° / 48°Fall

How much snow does New Castle get?About 20 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Nov 1, with the last in spring around Apr 7.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.9° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in New Castle →

Schools in New Castle

All New Castle schools →

School Grade C

The public schools New Castle’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 68% of Delaware’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how New Castle’s schools compare in DE →

DistrictCharter School of New CastleSchools5

Charter School of New Castle C-Elementary · Grades K–8 · 788 students New Castle Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades K–5 · 383 students Downie (Carrie) Elementary School DElementary · Grades K–5 · 324 students Harvest Christian AcademyOther · Grades PK–12 · 241 students Harvest Christian Academy New CastleOther · Grades PK–12 · 225 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within DE. Ratings are from neighbors.