What it's like to live in Middletown
Middletown is a small city in Delaware with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Middletown deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Middletown compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Middletown
Based on Middletown's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,166
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,320 a year
- 23% of Middletown renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$81,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $40,960
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 12% above US
$1,583/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,583 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $409,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $409,600 · 23% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 43% below US
186 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1392/100k · Middletown Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 15% above US
30 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 22% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is First State National Historical Park (28 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Middletown's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,583/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Middletown
All Delaware guides →Not sure Middletown is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.