Moving to
Pike Creek Valley.

All Pike Creek Valley data Compare Pike Creek Valley

12,431people live here $102,434median household income▲ 27% above US $1,751median rent per month▲ 24% above US $340,300median home valueNear US average

Pike Creek Valley is an unincorporated community in New Castle County, DE. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Pike Creek Valley

Pike Creek Valley is an unincorporated community in Delaware with household incomes running above the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, a highly educated workforce, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pike Creek Valley deals with rent well above the national average, 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
Short commutes
Highly educated workforce
Growing population
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
Air quality concerns
Cold winters
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Pike Creek Valley compares

Median household income

Pike Creek Valley$102,434

Delaware avg$84,954

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Pike Creek Valley$1,751

Delaware avg$1,401

US$1,413

Median home value

Pike Creek Valley$340,300

Delaware avg$352,000

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Pike Creek Valley

Based on Pike Creek Valley's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,502

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $70,040 a year
29% of Pike Creek Valley renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$68,060

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $34,030
Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 24% above US

$1,751/mo median rent

Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,751 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $340,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $340,300 · 29% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in New Castle County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

New Castle County (county-wide)

Safety

147 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Pike Creek Valley doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the New Castle County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 604/100k · Policed by New Castle County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 20% below US

21 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

66%

Work from home

18%

Carpool

13%

Other

1.6%

Walk

1.0%

Public transit

0.2%

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

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 41% above US

51% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (10 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Pike Creek Valley's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,751/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home), people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals.

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