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Delaware Population Consortium Releases
Annual Population Projections
On December 8, the Delaware Population Consortium
series of population, household, and employment projections for the State of Delaware and its three counties. These figures are produced on an annual basis to provide policymakers, planners, and the general public with an agreed- upon set of numbers that factor into all levels of decision-making.
Overall, the projections show Delaware falls in line with the national trend of a slower growth as birth rates continue to fall. The state will still see an increase of about 89,000 in total population from 2020 through 2050 due to people moving to Delaware.
During the next few decades, Delaware is expected to undergo several demographic changes in the composition of its residents
• New Castle County is expected to peak in population around 2040, then begin a slight decline.
• Sussex County will grow the
is driving this growth.
• The 65-and-over population will continue to grow statewide by 41% from 2020 to 2050. This population is expected to increase by approximately 42,000 in New Castle County, topping out at about 135,000 residents over the age
of 65 by 2050. This age group is expected to make up nearly a quarter of the county’s population by 2050.
• Sometime around 2025, Delaware’s natural population turn negative, meaning that more deaths than births will occur. The only growth expected will be based upon migration into the state.
For more details, or to view the full set of projections, please visit the Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination at stateplanning. delaware.gov/information/dpc_ projections.shtml.
County Population Projections for Delaware: 2020-2050
Population
2020 Census
2030
2040
2050
2020-2050 Population Change
New Castle
Sussex
570,889
239,763
590,820 594,231 586,107
268,240 285,142 288,549
New Castle 58%
Sussex 24%
15,218
48,786
55% 54%
26% 27%
Kent
181,839
194,504
202,460
207,618
25,778
DE Total
992,491
1,053,564
1,081,833
1,082,273
89,782
% of State Population
2020 Census
2030
2040
2050
56%
25%
Kent
18%
18%
19%
19%
*percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding
Source: Delaware Population Consortium, Version 2022.0 November 2022
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