Jobs, pay and daily life in Dover, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Dover is a city in Delaware with 39,837 residents. The median household earns $60,199 a year and the median rent is $1,344 a month, which is 26.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Dover, DE metropolitan area, where BLS counts 68,080 jobs.
How Dover compares. Among the 30 largest places in Delaware, Dover is #2 by population, #29 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #24 for household income (#1 = highest), #24 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Kent County, is #2 of 3 counties for average pay ($57,464).
Dover has 39,837 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 3.9% of the population of Delaware. It covers 24 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,673 people per square mile. The median age is 34.7, 17% younger than the state median (34.7 against 41.6).
The median gross rent is $1,344 a month (rent plus utilities), 4% below the state median ($1,344 against $1,401). Over a year that is 26.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $258,900, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($60,199). 46.9% of households own their home, 36% below the state average (46.9% against 73.0%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Dover, DE metropolitan area has 68,080 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,690 a year, 8% below the national median ($46,690 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (8,850 jobs, median $43,710); transportation and material moving (6,460 jobs, median $40,680); food preparation and serving related (6,340 jobs, median $34,470). The area is most specialised in educational instruction and library (1.3 times) and office and administrative support (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are educational instruction and library ($60,890) and office and administrative support ($43,710). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Kent County was 5.0%. 60.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Kent County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.8% drive alone, 1.2% use public transit, 6.0% walk, 9.0% work from home. 19.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 23% above the state average (19.0% against 15.5%).
26.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25% below the state share (26.7% against 35.8%). 10.9% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (10.9% against 10.7%). The poverty rate is 15.0%, 44% above the state rate (15.0% against 10.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 33°F (0.8°C). About 1,151 mm (45 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (117 mm) and Jan the driest (71 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Highland Acres (3 miles, rent 18% higher); Rising Sun-Lebanon (4 miles, rent 31% higher); Camden (5 miles, rent 37% higher); Clayton (10 miles, rent 21% higher). Rent differences are against Dover; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Delaware (103) →State guide: DelawareCountry guideKent CountyDelaware rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 103 federal postings open in Delaware (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Delaware →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,090 | 1.24 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $36,520 | +0% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,070 | 1.10 | $32,130 | $31,200 | $38,240 | -10% |
| Cashiers | 2,010 | 1.49 | $31,720 | $31,200 | $35,620 | -4% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,820 | 1.07 | $34,060 | $31,200 | $46,200 | -4% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,700 | 1.15 | $91,620 | $76,320 | $120,990 | -6% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,440 | 1.60 | $54,150 | $44,880 | $67,620 | -8% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,390 | 1.29 | $37,850 | $31,200 | $56,430 | -16% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,330 | 1.07 | $39,150 | $31,200 | $49,020 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,310 | 1.35 | $35,320 | $31,200 | $45,520 | -4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,170 | 1.56 | $45,360 | $35,750 | $61,520 | -5% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,050 | 2.26 | $76,710 | $49,880 | $80,700 | +6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,000 | 0.88 | $42,120 | $32,400 | $60,250 | -6% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 970 | 0.98 | $36,030 | $31,200 | $58,740 | +2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 920 | 1.47 | $37,170 | $31,430 | $46,000 | +1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 890 | 1.41 | $39,600 | $36,270 | $45,510 | -6% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 860 | 0.67 | $36,180 | $31,200 | $45,720 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 750 | 1.19 | $67,210 | $46,050 | $93,330 | -3% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 710 | 1.12 | $72,730 | $48,780 | $111,810 | -13% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 660 | 1.35 | $50,320 | $36,380 | $73,460 | +4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 650 | 0.42 | $119,990 | $69,990 | $204,450 | +13% |
These figures are for the whole Dover, DE metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,690 (US $50,980); unemployment 5.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 28.7% |
| Retail trade | 12.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.7% |
| Manufacturing | 7.5% |
| Public administration | 6.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.3% |
| Other services | 5.1% |
| Construction | 4.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Information | 0.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Dover lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 187,604 | $11,652 million | $62,111 | 71,071 | 5,852 | $57,464 | +1.1% | 5.0% | 82,965 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 10,779 | 29.7% | $55,966 | 1.06 |
| Retail trade | 8,993 | 24.7% | $36,994 | 1.27 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,331 | 9.2% | $57,855 | 0.80 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,860 | 7.9% | $82,963 | 0.58 |
| Construction | 2,808 | 7.7% | $75,867 | 0.75 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,732 | 7.5% | $54,716 | 0.91 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,816 | 5.0% | $95,410 | 0.63 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,650 | 4.5% | $45,179 | 0.77 |
| Real estate and rental | 459 | 1.3% | $57,013 | 0.42 |
| Information | 342 | 0.9% | $80,329 | 0.26 |
| Management of companies | 291 | 0.8% | $118,258 | 0.24 |
| Educational services | 290 | 0.8% | $45,711 | 0.20 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.8% |
| Public transit | 1.2% |
| Walk | 6.0% |
| Work from home | 9.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 19.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,199 |
| Income per person | $31,743 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,344 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 26.8% |
| Median home value | $258,900 |
| Homeowners | 46.9% |
| Poverty rate | 15.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 97.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $46,690 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 6.60%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 26.7% |
| Born abroad | 10.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.8 | 33 | 71 |
| Feb | 1.9 | 35 | 73 |
| Mar | 5.9 | 43 | 89 |
| Apr | 12.0 | 54 | 91 |
| May | 17.5 | 64 | 94 |
| Jun | 22.8 | 73 | 110 |
| Jul | 25.8 | 78 | 113 |
| Aug | 25.0 | 77 | 117 |
| Sep | 21.4 | 71 | 103 |
| Oct | 15.0 | 59 | 108 |
| Nov | 8.6 | 47 | 83 |
| Dec | 3.7 | 39 | 99 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Acres | DE | 3 mi | 3,752 | $102,356 | $1,583 |
| Rising Sun-Lebanon | DE | 4 mi | 4,163 | $113,529 | $1,755 |
| Camden | DE | 5 mi | 4,106 | $63,267 | $1,836 |
| Clayton | DE | 10 mi | 4,222 | $107,307 | $1,621 |
| Smyrna | DE | 10 mi | 13,165 | $67,048 | $1,534 |
| Harrington | DE | 17 mi | 3,838 | $72,679 | $1,277 |
| Milford | DE | 18 mi | 12,803 | $59,464 | $1,260 |
| Middletown | DE | 22 mi | 24,661 | $112,831 | $1,583 |
| Bridgeton | NJ | 24 mi | 27,001 | $55,781 | $1,340 |
| Milton | DE | 29 mi | 3,567 | $80,875 | $1,310 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
39,837 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,344 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 26.8% of the median household income.
$60,199 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.0% (BLS county, Kent County (latest month 2026M09)).
Delaware. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.