The Town Files

North Star, Delaware

Community in New Castle County · population 8,056 (2020 Census)

Map: where North Star is in DelawareNorth Star
Median home
$583,700
Household income
$150,733
Jan low / Jul high
25° / 89°
Snow a year
20 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
20
Median age
51.6

North Star is a community of 8,056 people in New Castle County, Delaware. The median home is worth $583,700, above the typical Delaware town ($302,450). It ranks better for families than 98% of Delaware towns, more of a college town than 98% of Delaware towns, more upscale than 98% of Delaware towns.

North Star in our rankings:

How North Star ranks

Percentile among Delaware towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Delaware towns.

North Star lifestyle rankings vs other Delaware townsRetirement93rd pctFamilies98th pctQuiet59th pctWalkability34th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals82nd pctVibrancy27th pctHip & trendy29th pctCollege town98th pctUpscale98th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving41st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in North Star is worth $583,700, above the typical Delaware town ($302,450). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $150,733, which is more affordable than 49% of Delaware towns. 86.4% of households own their home.

North Star vs New Castle County vs typical Delaware townNorth StarNew Castle CountyTypical Delaware townHome value$583,700$352,200$302,450Household income$150,733$91,166$78,707
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Delaware towns with 500+ people.
HousingNorth StarTypical Delaware town
Median home value$583,700$302,450
Median rent—$1,342
Median household income$150,733$78,707
Home value ÷ income3.9×3.8×
Homeownership86.4%72.0%
Median year built19881987
Seasonal / vacation homes0.4%—

Who lives in North Star

PeopleNorth StarTypical Delaware town
Median age51.639.5
Age 65 and over22.7%17.5%
Under 1817.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher72.7%32.5%
Below the poverty line3.5%8.4%
Veterans4.2%—
Born outside the U.S.13.6%—
Work from home20.6%13.8%
Average commute24.1 min25.1 min
Homes with broadband97.6%93.0%

Weather in North Star

July highs average 88.6°F and January lows 25.1°F. About 47.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 20.2 inches of snow (typical Delaware town: 12.8 in). Expect about 33 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 97 nights at or below freezing.

North Star monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing43°25°Jan46°25°Feb54°33°Mar67°42°Apr76°52°May84°62°Jun89°66°Jul87°65°Aug79°58°Sep69°46°Oct57°36°Nov47°30°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.46.12.97.84.33.13.70.13.64.04.84.04.94.03.40.24.02.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Newark Ag Farm station (5.8 mi away); snow from Wilmington New Castle Co Ap (9.0 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Star since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical Delaware town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 28, 2004 about 8.1 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 5 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 8, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of North Star by decade01950s31960s51970s21980s31990s22000s22010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 29, 2012.

Severe weather in New Castle County since 1996

Storm events in New Castle County since 1996 by typeHail62Heat55Flood96Drought49High Wind48Lightning50Heavy Rain48Flash Flood170
NOAA Storm Events Database, New Castle County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 18 deaths recorded.

New Castle County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for drought, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 24, 2021HurricaneDR-4627: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
October 2, 2020HurricaneDR-4566: Tropical Storm Isaias
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4526: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3449: Covid-19
November 16, 2012HurricaneDR-4090: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in New Castle County

New Castle County had 303,806 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $80,334 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in North Star itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.

Largest industries in New Castle CountyHealth care & social assistan…53,019 jobs · $73,518Finance & insurance38,330 jobs · $133,584Retail28,448 jobs · $40,563Hotels & restaurants22,568 jobs · $26,289Professional & technical serv…21,314 jobs · $136,043Administrative & support18,126 jobs · $58,651
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in New Castle County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023New Castle 3.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near North Star

North Star questions

Is North Star, Delaware a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, North Star scores better for retirees than 93% of Delaware towns and quieter than 59%. 22.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.6).

How much does a house cost in North Star?

The median owner-occupied home in North Star is valued at $583,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $150,733, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in North Star?

July highs average 88.6°F and January lows 25.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.0 inches of precipitation a year and 20.2 inches of snow.

Does North Star get tornadoes?

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Star since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 28, 2004. The typical Delaware town has had 13.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to North Star's Census boundary (GEOID 1052490). Comparisons use the median of Delaware towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.