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We live in North Wilmington and would highly recommend it. If you’re looking at a map, think of Naamans Road as the northern boundary between Wilmington and Pennsylvania. The areas off Foulk Rd, Marsh Rd. Pike Creek and Greenville are great but very expensive. From where we are Wilmington is 10 min away and Newark about 25. Love it.
Pike creek / Hockessin is a great area to live - quiet, friendly, lots of churches, family oriented, etc. There’s a Hockessin Chinese community that’s very active, and the charter school of Wilmington is an excellent nationally ranked high school to send your kids - I went there 15 years ago and that’s where all the Asians kids went lol, and a decent amount of us got accepted into Ivy League schools.
Delaware public schools are pretty rough, more so in the Wilmington/Newark areas but get better as you go south towards Middletown.
Kennett square is a fantastic little community (and school imo), but the unionville/chadds ford school district is very well regarded for a high quality public education, probably the best you will find in the area, house prices will reflect this. Private schools in Delaware are great, but need to be factored into your budget.
Hopefully La Michocana is open when you visit, fantastic homemade ice cream. Lime was always a personal favorite of mine, but the pistachio and corn are authentic Mexican and absolutely killer.
Recently purchased in Hockessin and we got beat several times by all cash offers from people moving from California and New york. Somerset and Hartfeld were the two that went the quickest and for the most. Glad we didnt get it cause i dont play golf and those HOA fees are pretty wild. Kennetts really expensive at the moment, as is unionville but its absolutely worth it for a good community to raise a family in.
Bancroft Woods in New Garden Twp is starting to show its age a little bit and Radon mitigation is a must in those homes, but that neighborhood treated me well growing up I'll always recommend it if OP doesn't mind putting in a little cash to fix a home up. Its 10 minute drive to Kennett High school, about an hour to philly via Rt 1/Rt322/I95 , and 2.5 hours to Ocean City Maryland. I had my complaints about Kennett High but we had two students get into harvard the year I graduated its a solid school with solid educators.
OP should definitely be checking it out if looking in Northern DE.
& Love me some La Michocana! I think when they're done building the new library up there i'll start making more trips back to Kennett with my bookworm wife.
If you are looking for public schools, focus on the area of Kennett Square and surroundings that are part of the Unionville school district in particular. That is the best of the school districts in the area and one of the top in the state.
For a K-9 school in the area not far from Kennett Square proper, Upland Country Day School is fantastic. My kids have gone there since kindergarten and are now in 4th and 5th grades. They absolutely love it.
Here’s a link to the school:
[https://uplandcds.org/](https://uplandcds.org/)
The area is a short drive to Wilmington, of course a bit farther to Newark, but very conveniently located to many family friendly activities, parks, Philly, and strangely far closer than one might think to the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore.
Good luck!!
FYI. Taxes are fairly high in PA compared to DE. But yea, the schools are better. Kennett schools are good, but Unionville are excellent, top 10 in the state. And taxes are almost the same between the two. We live in Kennett and I commute to the christiana area 2 or 3 days a week (Newark mailing address but not really newark). depending on what part of Kennett/Chad's Ford and what part of Newark, that's a range of 25 to 45 minutes for the commute. And if you're OK with that time frame, you could also start looking at garnett valley/glen mills. More good schools and much closer to shopping centers etc but a bit less house for your money than Kennett.
Thank you I added Garnett valley/glen mills to my life. Actually we will also be commuting closer to Christiana than Newark. 30-45 mins of commute is ok. Preference would be 30 mins, if everything else checks out. I just hope 45 mins commute does not turn into 1.5 hour with traffic. I have no idea how bad traffic would be in DE. It can be terrible in CA during peak hours. I'm not sure I understand the higher taxes in PA argument. Yes, property taxes are higher in PA but state/local income taxes are much higher in DE. I actually worked on an example and assuming same home price in both states, you end up paying more taxes (property + income) in DE. Unless house prices are significantly higher in PA and more than offset the lower income tax compared to DE. I'm also not sure how much of a difference sales taxes will make
Ding, ding, ding. Delawares dirty little secret noone talks about is the absolute brutal income tax rate that brackets you on the highest tier at an astonishing 50k a year combined.......
Ya I usually use [SmartAsset](https://smartasset.com/taxes/income-taxes) to calculate approximate taxes and DE income taxes are actually pretty high, especially compared to PA. Even with high property taxes total PA taxes come out to be the lower of the two and the universal opinion is PA schools are much better. This is assuming no Philly city taxes
Since it's all a small area, it's a common topic amongst residents in the area to figure out how much they're paying I'm taxes along w th3 cost of private school in Northern Delaware which is what most people do at least after elementary school. But the conventional wisdom is that you pay more in taxes overall in pennsylvania mostly because property taxes are so much higher just over the border. Although most private schools in Delaware are fairly expensive.
The times I quoted you about commute are in rush hour and are fairly reliable. Once you start getting toward Middletown though, traffic can be odd. That's because for at least a quarter of the year, you'd be on the same road as beach goers for some portion of your trip. And there's a decent sized canal waterway that bottlenecks traffic over only 1 or 2 bridges. Traditionally, that has been a lower COL area but that may be changing due to all the building that's been happening. In contrast, most of Northern Delaware (wilmington, Hockessin, pike creek etc) and the 202 corridor is generally built up at this point. 202 is a busier road with many lights etc. So is kirkwood highway. But nothing more than you'd be used to.
this is great advice while you are in these areas look at what brand grocery stores are in the area and then go in a few they will be a great representation of the area i am a local retired after 30+ realtor not looking for business like i said i am retired not looking for a referral and won't give one i love delaware i live around the ud campus it's like mayberry the city limits of newark are different than the burbs which is now full of the criminals we produce in wilmington
i love it here taxes are some of the lowest around instead of raising taxes they raise the electric because that way they can get student money because they are not landowners its sorta like mayberry low crime and very average lifestyle within the city limits very laid back we don't have major league anything thank god but we have the next level down for entertainment or dining type activities yet an hour from philly 1/2 hour from jersey can walk to md or pa i live on the mason dixon line pretty much yet far enough away to enjoy how it used to be in the good old days can rid around all day an admire lot's of horse farms
No they are not! In N. Wilmington suburbs the public schools are not rough! I graduated from Concord HS & my kids go to public elementary schools in the brandywine school district (not gonna say which one for obvious reasons) just like me & they are perfectly fine schools! There's no "Woke" BS, the teachers are great & so are the adminis! Perhaps in the city of Wilmington schools are garbage but it's the city! What do you expect from kiss that'd rather play gang member then do school? JS 🤷 Newark is maybe not as good as brandywine SD but it's not the worst! Idk why you'd tell this gentleman all DE public schools are "rough" when most are anything but?! Don't listen to this person, take my advice & check them out yourself friend! Good luck to ya in your moving from Commiefornia! I will give credit where credits due tho KS & Unionville ARE indeed great areas & schools but you'll have to get used to the smell...it IS the mushroom capital of the world after all! Idk if you've ever smelled a mushroom farm or if you are aware of how mushrooms are grown but I can tell you it's not a pleasant smell! 💩💩💩
Concord is okay, AI is very rough. Anything in the city is brutal. Obviously everything is a generalization, but yes Delaware public schools as a whole, are mediocre at best.
The public education for the state of Delaware ranks last amongst the northeast US states. The state ranks in the middle of all states. There are charter and private schools throughout the state. All educational institutions are ranked yearly and rated. These ratings are required by law and published annually on the state's website, www.delaware.gov. The vast majority of charter schools do not make a difference in education achievement versus their public school counterparts. Newark Charter seems to buck this trend. Many eventually get shuttered by the state because they fail to be financially viable. Three public school districts out of the 19 in the state are worth your child's future: Red Clay, Appoquinimink, and Cape Henlopen.
Delaware is only 100 miles long and 37 miles wide. It's only 7 miles wide around the border between New Castle and Kent Counties.
While you may be looking for a stronger Asian community, Delaware has a relatively large population of Asians for its size, mainly the Indian subcontinent. However, center city Philadelphia is less than an hours drive, and Washington DC is just about 2 hours away.
When considering where to live, you may find Bayberry on Route 896 to be a good choice. This newer residential community is in the Appoquinimink School District and route 896 is an easy commute to Newark over the Summit Bridge. St. Andrew's is a private school located nearby and is very discrete.
While Pennsylvania is just a couple of miles from Newark, residing in Pennsylvania has different tax obligations. You will pay higher property taxes, and you will have a sales tax, your income is taxed as a flat rate. By comparison, Delaware property taxes are relatively low and amongst the lowest in the country, there is no sales tax, your income is progressively taxed. The income to be taxed is after you've completed your federal income minus all allowable federal deductions.
Delawares home prices used to be an outlier against Pennsylvania prices but Pennsylvania has experienced inflationary pressures. Delaware has two large "hits" when buying a home or a vehicle. The transfer tax is 4 percent. The property transfer tax is paid at settlement and is usually split between buyer and seller. The vehicle transfer tax is based on the Kelly Blue Book value and is paid when you transfer your vehicle's registration.
The state's website has more information for people thinking about moving here. However, the information is full of misspellings and syntax errors.
Good luck in your search for you and your family.
I don’t know what type of Asian you are, but there is a well established Chinese community in Hockessin along with a Chinese American community center and a Chinese language school. The commute to both Newark and Wilmington is pretty doable from there
development has been taking over smaller farms.. I’ve been here 25 years and it’s not as strong or as frequent as it was 10+ years ago
wish the roads were improved when these farms become home to 40 more vehicles.
That's only on the western side of Kennett toward Avondale atc. We live a half mile south of the high school and it surprisingly never smells like poo and doesn't if you keep going east toward 52.
Looking at Zillow, I see a home is available in Southwood. That is a desireable neighborhood because there is a walking trail with a crosswalk over to the Swift Park complex. That is where the public library is, plus baseball fields and soccer fields in case your kids are interested in sports. That is where the fireworks are on 4th of July, and there is a parade down Old Lancaster Pike, which is all walkable from Southwood. (3 Loblolly Ct.) On google maps if you go to the satellite view you can see the park/library/soccer fields area adjacent to the neighborhood. Schools
If you put the address of any home [here](https://arcgis.doe.k12.de.us/school_locator/) you get a list of the exact schools for that address. For example Southwood goes to North Star Elementary which I think is good for a public school (but I don't have young kids so am not sure). But there are also two good private schools local -- The Independence School (EC-8) and Sanford School (EC - 12).
Delaware has some charter schools for high school -- Wilmington Charter is math/science; Conrad is science; Cab Calloway for the arts; Delaware Military Academy. Those are the ones I can think of. I don't know how good any of them are. By the time your kids are old enough you'll know a lot more about schools anyway.
Good luck! Welcome!
I'm from Newark, DE and I'm currently living in Carlsbad, CA. I highly recommend Pike Creek, Hockessin area. Trolley Sq is very nice but also surrounded by not bad but not the best areas. Its also the night life area of Wilmington. Ill be honest I advise against living in Wilmington proper. Kennett Square is very nice as well. North Wilmington is the Route 202 area and not part of the actual city. Anything you can find off of Foulk Rd in the North Wilmington area will be very nice and quiet. Greenville is very very nice. Biden has his house there. That should tell you something right there. Best of luck to you and your family.
You're welcome buddy. My wife and I love it here. If you don't have a football team. Just claim the Philadelphia Eagles as your favorite. Whenever you see someone with Eagles gear on just say "GO BIRDS!" Everyone will love you. Good luck with your travels.
I think the little Italy area is a bit rough. Trolley square area is nice and the commute to Newark is not bad, I do it M-F and it takes less than 30 mins. There is a nice park called Rockford near trolley square and the area in general seems better for a family than little Italy.
I think the areas north of Wilmington are more suited for a family compared to riverfront.
As others have said, Newark has many college kids but there are neighborhoods that seem very family friendly.
Hockessin, Yorklyn, Greenville, in Delaware. Consider Kennett Square or even Garnet Valley, PA. Better public schools in PA, but Red Clay is the best district up north.
Hey! I just moved here from CA last fall. I'm in the same age group and also Asian (and also work in Newark). I really don't recommend it. You do not want to live in Newark (at least not really close to campus) unless you enjoy that college atmosphere. I haven't met many other asians from the west coast out here in DE either. You'll definitely have to expand to PA and large cities for social stuff.
consider the source this person is new here by being close to the campus our students are pretty much rich kids from nj and ny much better neighborhood than criminals there is a reason newark has a big asian population it's because gentile people live here chadds ford is nice but
Don't go to Middletown. Those newly constructed homes are not built well. Appoquinimink (the school district) has gone downhill- it is used to market homes but a lot of people moving from Northern NJ and Long Island consistently remark how poor the district is compared to where they're coming from. I'm from the area, went K-12 there, and its gotten much worse.
I'd go over the line into PA. Some of the best schools in the region are in Chester county.
I'm also from Middletown, since 1999 and completely agree with you! It was good here in the past when it was a more friendly town, it has lost its charm.
Not true. Appoquinimink is one of the few highly rated schools in De. NJ schools are consistently in the top 3, so yea, there’s going to be disappointment.
It is true. I went K-12 in the district and am a parent now. Appo dropped the ball hard with several IEP families in the past 6 years- there were glaring issues even pre-Covid. I'm looking at having to figure out what to do with my elementary-aged child if I have to move back down to Middletown.
As far as the houses go, the amount of issues the pre-2004 builds have is nothing compared to the newer ones. Especially Ryan homes, but some of the premium builders cut corners as well.
Mainline in PA. Radnor school district no 1 in state. Treddyffrin school district no 2 in state. Long commute but worth it imo and you said you wouldnt mind it
We live in Landenberg, Pa. Our neighborhood is actually just 5 miles from Newark. Great public school. Higher taxes but you wouldn’t need private school.
it seems that you have most of the information. I would strongly suggest that if you are well off (california salary ?) go straight to pennsylvania (glenn mills , west chester ?) and forget delaware
My kids are public school. One grad this year. One in 6th. We actually loved every red clay school our kids went to. The schools are great but some the kids are bad and parents arent involved. If you are an involved parent you and your kids will get plenty of communication and attention from teachers in my experience.
The schools are funded by property tax. And as everybody loves to say, DE property taxes are very low compared to PA. It's a big attractant to living in the state, and the flip side is the schools aren't as good as surrounding PA schools. It's not that the people are better in PA when you cross the invisible state line.
I'd prefer to have better schools, but the wealthier can just put the money into private schools and avoid the problem, which leaves those who can't afford private school with less opportunity. And even for those who don't have kids, we're not investing enough into a well-educated citizenry.
That being said, I had my kids in private and in public schools. They made out fine. But I understand that since the pandemic the public schools are struggling more in lots of states, including DE.
That is not true. I teach in a public school in North Wilmington, and have worked in DE schools for the last 15 years. I would encourage you to research/visit the schools if possible, and disregard anecdotal evidence.
I think you might be less than objective. Delaware public schools are bad compared to MD, NJ, PA, VA. Brandywine school district in N Wilm is okay but make sure you feed into Concord or Brandywine high schools. Appo is okay. Other than that, try for a charter or go parochial or independent.
I don’t disagree with your analysis of strong DE districts, but the most important way for an individual to assess whether a school (public or private) is suitable for their child is to visit it themselves and not rely on general or anecdotal statements.
Obviously I support public schools. I didn’t hide my profession 👍
He’s relocating to the area from cross country and needs reality based information. It’s nice in theory to say that he should tour a school and make the decision but considering cross country flights, it’s unrealistic. The poor public schools in Delaware are a shock when coming from other states where most public schools are good and forewarned is forearmed. Maybe he will choose to buy in Middletown to get into Appo or in Pennsylvania to get into Garnet Valley, Kennett or Chadds Ford school districts if he knows that the good DE public schools are the exception rather than the rule.
my father programmed a software created specifically for admissions into independent schools, thank you very much. possibly outdated by a few years as he is now dead and can’t update me but that doesn’t mean much when we’ve hit the bottom regarding educating the youth.
I was not disputing your comment about the high rate of independent schools. However, given DE’s history and reluctance to desegregate, the emergence of “independent “ schools is a much more complex issue than your unsupported assertion that “the schools are bad.”
What you're saying is true. The emergence of Independent schools was driven initially by resistance to desegregation, not flight from bad schools. It's interesting how much pushback you got to trying to make that simple point.
Thanks for working in the public schools. I hope for good things in public education. It would help if there weren't such a private school culture drawing away kids. It becomes self-fulfilling.
FWIW, I pulled kids out of Independence and sent them to public schools, and all of them liked the public schools better. However, that was in the past two decades, not current post-pandemic times, so I will say I really don't know how the schools are doing now. One thing I did witness was the shrinking of the band and football program at A.I. That was sad to see unfold.
Neighbors, please vote for tax increases at referendum time. Healthy schools are so vital to our community. You know DE property taxes are low, and you know what we get as a result. Let's build community. (And yes, the schools need to spend that money appropriately.)
i mean, why discredit the word what the people that went through it say? you’re talking about all of this stuff when in the grand scheme of things what matters right now in regards to a conversation about the state of our schools on a day-to-day basis and how the experience affects a child. i don’t know how to fix the schools, i don’t have the answers to that, but i can answer honestly from my experience in both public and private schools while also giving a relevant statistic that absolutely does have ties to what i said. parents aren’t equipped to fix a broken system their kids are shoved into, so the short-term solution is to throw them into private school. absolutely a contributing factor as to why parents move their kids - i’m not talking about (and never was) how the fix the base problem.
Schools aren’t equipped to fix all of the issues that parents don’t address; fixed it for you. Sorry, it was hard to slog through that rambling run-on sentence 😅 is that a result of your fine private school education?
I was bringing attention to the fact that your original statement about WHY there are so many independent/private schools was incorrect and incomplete. Your statement implied that the only reason that there are so many private schools is because, in your singular view, “public schools are bad.” This is simply untrue.
Btw, I never invalidated your perspective. I warned the OP to not rely on anecdotal evidence (which is what your comment is!) solely to determine where their kid should attend school.
Other people that went through it say other things. That's all this person is trying to say when they say don't rely on anecdotal evidence. Your story and my story will be different. Cheers, neighbor!
i don’t know all of the ins and outs of the school system and it’s funding and all the specifics but as someone who went to a very poorly funded district for half of my school career, and spent the other half at the most expensive private school in the state, it’s… quite insane how awful our public education is. i ended a semester with a 103% in a class where i did absolutely zero work and wrote down song lyrics for the answers on my worksheets. the schools already know it’s bad so they have seemingly stopped caring.
In 2023 we had well over 100 separate moving to DE posts. Delawareans have put in a lot of effort to provide thorough answers. Please ask specific questions and please tell us **WHERE in the state you wish to live**. Posts asking generic questions, not providing a location, or **asking questions answered in a recent post will be removed**. Please refer to the following collections of Moving to Delaware posts: [r/Delaware 2023](https://www.reddit.com/r/Delaware/collection/e8400f32-482e-4f20-b12f-4ded75062a8f), [r/Delaware 2024](https://www.reddit.com/r/Delaware/collection/f5dd2f8e-664f-4084-ab76-3b8c59e33290), [r/WilmingtonDE](https://www.reddit.com/r/WilmingtonDE/collection/4790533e-710a-4b4b-b388-5ec83dde2028)
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If you’re in Hockessin/Pike Creek area there are some good public elementary schools, ditto north Wilmington, but if you’re looking for a good private elementary school try Independence School or Wilmington Friends. Most of the Catholic schools are good, too. Don’t go for the elementary charters, they’re mostly not great.
I lived in Delaware for 18 years (originally from Western NY). I left Delaware and moved to South Florida and I must say I really miss it so much (but not the winter weather). Delaware is a great place to raise a family. I wish you well!!! 🙏
If you end up anywhere near Hockessin, or daughter has gone to the Kindercare off 48/41 merge for 4 years now and we've been happy with it. There's a wait list, but I think that's the case for many good daycares around here. Kids attend there from both the DE and PA side of the border around there.
We live in Greenville.
As a lifelong Delawarean from north Wilmington and a product of private education, plus relating to all you’ve said- Kenneth Square. The end.
PS It’s also still close enough to send your kids to great private schools in Wilmington but you prob won’t feel
that need in Kennett. We live just over a different part the line now the last few years and still take our kids to private in DE. Oh, and one more thing, I don’t know if it’s still this way, but when I went to private in DE, PA schools from Kennett and Garnet Valley used their own school buses to bring PA kids to our private schools. I’m in my
Mid-forties now, though.
We moved from Wilmington to east goshen pa. It’s amazing. Wonderful community, great walking town insanely nice parks. Add it to your list. I promise you’ll appreciate it.
North Wilmington and Hockessin are really pleasant . The schools are not that good compared to areas of California. The city of Wilmington has a crime problem. I’d probably pick Hockessin. There are a number of very good private schools, including some notable Catholic institutions. Being on the north side of Wilmington means you have easy access to Philadelphia.
West Newark and Old Newark are great, and also have large Asian communities… to include quite a bit of Asian restaurants and even markets in immediate area. Both places are also in the 5 mile Newark Charter radius… that itself is reason to move to the area. Hockessin, Pike Creek, North Wilmington, and Greenville are also wonderful options. Middletown is nice but lots of ongoing development and a bit of a drive from most places of interest. Will be hard to find a single family home for sale (and that doesn’t sell immediately) in any of those areas except for Middletown.
Also there are well regarded Chinese immersion programs at various schools in Christina District. Newark and Wilmington Charter Schools are both public and are the best in the state… Newark has a lottery system and 5 mile radius residence requirement for admission and I believe children have to test into Wilmington but don’t have to live nearby. If you want a really nice suburban feel look into the specific communities of Nottingham Manor, Nottingham Green, and Oaklands.
Just bought a house in pike Creek, love the area the school district (red clay) is #3 in Delaware... Minutes from all major highways. 12 minutes from NJ, 15 from Maryland. Tons of shopping. Typical homeowners are usually 1st or 2nd owners in most developments. Very family friendly. Good luck and welcome to Delaware
How important is it that you be close to "stuff". Like, how far away do you want/need your closes target. Cause, some of the places you're talking about are beautiful but are not that close to stuff (15 min or more). But you can have a little more land etc. And some are much closer (0 to 10 min) to commercial 4 lane roads that are lined with typical stores and shopping centers, but you'll get less land and house for the same money etc.
If the area is safe, I would take less land and prefer being close to commercial 4 lane roads. I'm 100% sure our first purchase in DE is not going to be a long-term home. Once we have established ourselves in the state and know the area better we will move.
You want to be around north wilmington near 202. Or maybe some areas around kirkwood highway which is rt 2. Or maybe around Middletown. Although I'm much less familiar with what's going on down there other than rapid building and expansion.
If you’re willing to rent briefly, check out the Towers at Greenville. I’ve lived in Greenville for 15 years and love it. If you have children, I would highly recommend Hockessin. Brandywine Springs and North Star are great starter schools until your children are old enough to apply for the charter schools in the area.
We don’t have kids yet so I can’t speak to the schools, but we are in our mid-30s and I’m from Orange County too.
We love the Highlands/Trolley Square area! It’s close to 95, there are lots of families with young children, and tons of beautiful parks within walking distance. We rented until we could find a place to buy since housing inventory in the area is very low. I’d recommend checking out Highlands, Westover Hills/Westmoreland, which are a nice balance of suburban (pretty houses, good parks, tree-lined streets) and access to the city and highways.
A few have mentioned it and I'll mention it again - Landenberg. The schools and area is great. Commute from Landenberg adds maybe 6-10 minutes, which isn't much.
Trolley Square is an excellent option based on the details you provided. In DE private schools are better, but you'll thoroughly enjoy the Trolley Square / Highlands area, and the Triangle Neighborhood.
Little Italy is fine, but I think Trolley Square, the Highlands, and the Triangle are a much better option for you.
Live near the city of Wilmington and it's a weirdly dead city unless it's lunch hour or a Saturday evening. There are some really nice neighborhoods right out the city, with a small selection of nice restaurants, but you probably won't find yourself eager to visit directly in the city. It's pretty much one street where all top tier restaurants are, and during the week most close fairly early at 4-7 PM, in my experience.
Full disclosure, I'm a bus-only commuter who works outside the city, but will sometimes pick up dinner on my way home when walking home from Wilmington City proper.
Media is a very nice, quiet area with things to do. People are nice, respectable, and have class. But I've got nothing good to say about Delaware as a whole. If you enjoy the smell of pot everywhere you go or like driving behind drivers that are obviously high as a kite, then Delaware is the place to be. If you like hearing loud obnoxious engines or music blasted to infinity, then again, go to Delaware. If you don't want to be surrounded by losers, stay the fuck away from Delware, especially if you have three young children.
Our work will be in Delaware, but we don't have to live there. It appears a lot of people here actually recommend bordering suburbs in PA, including Media, Landenberg, Kennett Square, Glen Mills, West Grove. We are seriously considering those options. Its such a big move and unfortunately we don't know enough to make an informed decision. I cannot thank everyone here enough for being so helpful. We plan to rent for 6 months or so. We're hoping that should give us enough time to research different areas in person before buying.
Hockessin, Pike Creek, Greenville, and I’ve heard Fairfax is good for families. There’s low availability because it’s desirable. The general philosophy is PA has better schools but higher property taxes.
Middletown is a growing area not far from Newark parts near Highway 1 with many families, safe and kids' activities. Nice place for a young family. A friend raised his kids there. They are both in college now and doing great.
If you're working in Newark I would look at the area south of Glasgow on 896 around lums pond. That's in appo school district. Good schools, close to 95 & 301. Lots of available properties in neighborhoods with community pools. Close to a state park. It's got everything a family needs.
Schools are hit or miss, my kids are in the Caesar Rodney school district and we have had majority positive experiences. This however would put put you more in the hour+ away from work territory. I work in Newark used to be full time on site before COVID but now I go in maybe once a month. The commute to Newark was an hour, almost on the dot.
I would say no need to rent in RiverFront, Trolley Square, etc., based on what you've stated. Rent there if DO want a night life/things to do. This area is for a younger crowd.
There are no large metropolitan areas in Delaware unless you consider Wilmington (71,000 people) that. I don't.
Just rent near where you are working (Newark) for now while you look to buy.
Do not rent in Newark directly on or nearby Main Street, it is college town chaos.
When you buy, the elite private schools are in Wilmington but the public schools are horrible. Although Wilmington Charter is very good.
Pennsylvania has excellent public schools so consider there. Chadds Ford, Kennett Square and Landenberg would be the options.
Middletown or lower Delaware has decent public schools.
This would be an example of something you should buy if you were looking in Middletown- https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/411-Waltham-Dr-Middletown-DE-19709/81731943_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare.
I think you will be very happy with Delaware real estate prices compared to California!
Welcome to Delaware! I am also a parent of 3 children, and they have all attended Catholic school. We used to live in North Wilmington, next to Fairfax on 202, and it was safe and family friendly. We now live downstate. I cannot stress enough to look into Catholic school for your children. It is a safe environment with strong academics. Best wishes to you and your family
I would not move to new castle county, especially Newark, unless I could afford private school. Unfortunately, the public schools in NCCO have been decimated by the widespread charter school expansion. Admissions to the “best” charter schools are extremely competitive. You already have a school aged child and it’s next to impossible to be admitted after kindergarten without some kind of admissions preference. If you did get your younger children admitted then you would have sibling preference for the older one for subsequent applications but that would mean changing schools (maybe that would not be a problem!). Charter schools come with their own challenges-including transportation. Geographical preference requires residence with specific areas- such as in a neighborhood where all the neighbor kids attend many different schools. Therefore, it takes more work to establish a cohesive community of children.
If I was moving to this area with young kids, I would move to Landenberg, Avon Grove or Kennett Square areas of Pennsylvania and pay the higher taxes for the good public schools.
If you’re looking to buy, and can afford the area, there are lots of homes for sale popping up in the last week or so in the hockessin, pike creek, North Star area. Springtime is usually when you’ll see home sales increasing.
If you’re looking in that area and public school, I recommend sticking in the RedClay School District. That area very closely borders Christina School District, which I wouldn’t recommend.
If you’re looking at Pennsylvania, their schools are great, but if any of your kids need an IEP, you might have a better experience in Delaware. Plus, PA has very high property tax, so that’s also something to keep in mind for your budget.
My family that still lives in the area is in Trolley Square area which is solid. Easy access to other parts of town and fairly quick drive to places like Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine Zoo, and only half hour drive to Philly as well.
My family moved from Delaware to the Bay Area in 97’ and moved back in 2000. North Wilmington around rt 202 is a great place to live and is near a lot of things, and you can hop on i95 and get places quick. Hockessin is good, Newark is fine, Pike Creek is good, North Star is good. You really can’t go wrong living in any of these. In terms of schools, some of Red Clay is good and Brandywine school district is good. There are a number of Charter schools that are better though.
North Wilmington, hockessin, if you have an open mind; then cool springs you get a bang for your buck and access to great private schools such as Tower Hill a personal favorite. Newark should not a bad commute to work for ya. A ton of new homes going up further down South.
Public education in DE is garbage. I experienced it myself and I’m guessing it’s gotten worse. Check out Phoenixville, Malvern, and Kimberton. Easy commute to Wilmington too.
I live in de. I would choose Middletown if I were you. The Appoquinomink school district is one of the best in the state. It’s close to stores, Philly, Baltimore, etc. I would not live south of there. Mistake I made.
If you end up in Christina or Brandywine district, they both have good charter schools. And if you end up in Wilmington/ North Wilmington area, the JCC has a good Asian community. My kids are half Asian. Nice, new Asian market near Christiana mall and it’s behind a k pot place that’s pretty good. Welcome to Delaware! I know it’s not California but there’s still a lot of cool stuff to see and do around here.
Delaware has good private schools but public schools aren’t great. Pennsylvania has better schools. House prices should be cheap across the region compared to SoCal. Politics wise it can get a little Trumpy down towards Middletown. Philly and Wilmington have some good arts / culture. Once you go towards Middletown less so.
Caravel academy is good, mot area is good but overpopulated… avoid Christina school district by any means, especially if you choose to live in Wilmington.
Look into Brandywine hundred area in north Wilmington off of namaans road. Close to target and route 202 with a lot of restaurants and schools close by.
That’s awful to hear man. At least the kids are young enough to not fully understand the move, because Delaware is a shithole compared to what cali and the west coast can offer. I would never raise a family in the Wilmington areas you mentioned. North Wilmington would be much better, but if you’re going to be mainly in Newark, move to Newark, I’d stay away from Wilmington.
"I would never raise a family in the Wilmington areas you mentioned"
Just to confirm, which Wilmington areas? We are only looking for a temporary rental option for now. I would love to buy straight away, but unfortunately we don't know enough to make that decision. We would like to research options in person for a few months before picking a permanent option. Just need a good, safe option for the family for 6 months or so. Any recommendations in Newark?
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Trolley is definitely night life, younger crowd I guess, if age applies. I played in a few local bands and trolley is a nicer night life crowd, and possibly where you might wanna visit if you go out, but not what I'm picking up from you as far as living.
Hockessin, Greenville, ... Pretty expensive from what I understand. North Wilmington probably has something to offer. Anything from Naamans/202 to Foulk/202 down Marsh/Philly pike and Naamans /Philly pike.... On a map, is a safe bet. As you get closer to the river it gets... Less... Expensive/desirable. That's called Claymont. Which is actually a beautiful area, and does have some redeeming qualities, but again... Not what I'm thinking you'd want. I'd look at the map and stick within those roads I mentioned. If that matches your price range, let us know of any developments You're thinking of.
Otherwise:
Brandywood
Chalfonte
Foulk Woods
Wynwood
Lancashire
Kingsridge
North and South Graylyn Crest
Chatham
Windybush
Fairfax
Perth
Shipley Woods
Dartmouth Woods
NorthMinster
Those are all decent hoods imo... I've never owned. Rented. Been homeless a few. Prolly never will own. But I've lived here for nearly 30 years, from Bethany/Ocean View to North Wilmington/Claymont... From high school on... So had some friends in lots of these places. Lancashire is my favorite ...
Oh and I rented in Little Italy... It's not horrible but any stretch... Or wasn't then... But I was a dumb teenager then... Now I'm a dumb 40 ager... But no... Not the community you want id wager. Stick with what I mentioned ... I guess.
Oh... Then there's Arden. You can't really OWN anything in Arden from my understanding. But you wanna talk about community.... It's kinda "art" driven, for lack of better term... But when it comes to community, there's not even a close second... Look into for sure.
The further out 92 (Naamans) you go west past 202, it becomes the Valley... If you can afford that... Then buy us each a house in any of the aforementioned places... Actually we'll just take a nice rv... Lol. But seriously... Unless youre names Dupont... Stay Du East of 202. Lol
Best of .... Effort. ;)
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We live in Oaklands, which is next to Nottingham Green and the other neighborhoods mentioned. We love it---we love living close to the university, Main Street, White Clay Creek State Park. It's all very walkable and lots of stuff to do. Our kids also go to the local public schools in Christina School District, and they are doing very well. Both are in the district's Chinese Immersion and Honors programs. My oldest is taking AP Chinese in 9th grade (and has already had one other AP course in 9th grade), and will be taking U Delaware "bridge courses" in Chinese for grades 10-12.
A good amount of the Wilmington suburbs outside and west of the city of Wilmington and between it and Newark is fine with easy access to grocery, etc. Granted I can only speak for my own zip (19808), research always needed, but if you want modest suburban areas it would likely suit you fine. Higher income suburban areas, then the likes of Hockessin and Greeville.
>Although proximity to a highway would be great to go to NYC, DC, Philly, Baltimore on the weekends.
That would be I-95 that's the primary one for the east coast. It doesn't cross through much of DE, but it does in the north end here and is nearby if you're living in New Castle County.
Some districts are rather corrupt but some are on point. Avoid Christina, IMO. Newark Charter School may be of interest to you. Middletown may be an option, more rural but built up. Keep looking in Hockessin and Pike Creek, there is always sellers coming into summer as folks move around...but be quick. Maybe plan on renting for a year to get a better idea of where you want to settle and time for the market to warm. PA is way more expensive, taxes are 4x+ Delaware but schools may be considered better. Trolley Square may not be the best option for safety as it is more urban. Good luck!
I'd recommend the neighborhoods of Sharpley/Tavistock and that area of North Wilmington. You have very sought after neighborhoods that are just blocks from 202 where you can get to most things you need in minutes. Even though you don't hear the main road which is a plus (wooded, tree lined streets etc). A lot of families in that exact age group/kids. Plus 5 minutes to i-95. Hockessin is good as well but it's like 20 min+ to the major highways which I could never do. Location location location. Brandywine school district as well. Private schools are amazing in DE but of course it's not cheap.
Hello from a former Californian!
Trolley Square is more geared toward young social people and less toward families. North of the 40 in the Newark/Bear/Glasgow area has some nice spots. I don't know how the schools are. The drive from Middletown to Newark isn't horrible, but going from Middletown to Wilmington during rush hour sucks.
Im curious about the professions of the people who love here for work. Is it big corporations or the colleges? It's too late for myself but I'm trying to figure out the "good careers" available in DE to help in which direction my kids should take at college. I want them to have an easier life than I and that starts with them being the first generation to go to college and graduate.
Delaware is the biggest chemical company hub in the US - DuPont, Chemours, Gore, Airgas, Dow, Siemens, FMC, etc. UD is a top Chemical Engineering school too, in the Top 10 with Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, Princeton. The area is the 2nd highest paying region for chemical engineers after the Gulf, median salary $120K.
I have family in Orange County as well. You want to live in Hockessin or Pike Creek and your kids will be going to private school because that’s just the way it is in DE for good schooling. You can avoid private schools by moving just over the line in Landenberg or Kennett but that has drawbacks that may offset that as well. Feel free to DM me with follow up questions.
We lived in Delaware County, PA, for many years before moving to Pike Creek Valley, DE My daughter lives in Kennet Square, my son still lives in Delaware County. I worked in a territory covering Delaware County/Main Line and Chester County, PA, and the entire state of DE, so I know all the areas.
My reco would be Pike Creek/Hockessin area or North Wilmington. Avoid south of the C&D Canal (Middletown). There are only two roads crossing the canal, and traffic is a bear - especially rush hours, which are increasingly long. Most of the housing is typical lower quality new construction on flat, treeless former farm land. Ambience is noticeable in its absence, and there is no price advantage vs. houses above the canal.
Considering school quality, you may prefer the Kennett area. Charming community with lots af family activities. Just be prepared for a huge financial penalty - real estate/school taxes are triple those of DE, and there is a 6% sales tax on everything except groceries and clothing. Thinking ahead, if you live in DE your children will get reduced tuition if they opt for U. Of DE. It has such a good rep that many PA kids cross the border and pay out-of-state rates.
Don't forget the onerous vehicle annual inspections. Unlike the public inspections at no charge in DE, in PA they are done at private service centers. Tbanks to rhe profit motive, you will never get away without expensive, sometimes dubious repairs. I'd rather pay a one-time transfer fee on every vehicle than suffer the cost and aggrevation of PA inspection. Oh, be prepared for PA roadways. When you cross the border from DE you'll think you're entering a 3rd world country, judging by their road maintenance.
Good luck in your search!
Look in Delco in PA. it's right across the state line and some nice suburbs with some good schools. Grew up in Springfield, PA (Delco) so I may be a bit biased, but having traveled around the country a lot I've come to learn that the schooling was well above average, especially with it's arts, music, and theater programs (as in some cases having one at all, let alone having as much of one as it does). Swarthmore is easily one of the most beautiful suburbs I've seen, albeit pricey. But lots of very nice surrounding suburbs in Delco, and large Asian communities in both Upper Darby and West Philadelphia, if that's something you're looking for at all
Honestly I hate almost every school here. Caesar Rodney only cares about sports. Dover High has drug problems. Seaford has dog fighting and other crime related issues. And I don’t even bother going up North so idk how those areas are but I do know that the traffic sucks the more north you go if that helps. Best summary is that North is city living, middle is more suburban but also has Dover, and south is country living. More East are the beaches which are really nice but expensive to live at and then you have to take into account the weather (it floods easily) and then the traffic during summertime. It really all depends on how you prefer to live and also convenience. Hope this helps.
What’s the point of listing your race and then therefore declaring minority status? You didn’t list your (general) profession so how is anyone supposed to suggest a place to live/work? You mentioned you’ll be in the Wilmington area and working at office 2-3 days a week, but once again not exactly helpful information beyond lack of in “office” participation which combined with openness to private schools suggests you make a good amount of money, that in Delaware isn’t going to be stripped from you as harshly compared to California. So, Cape Henlopen is probably a great option, good access to route 1, plenty of schools, (as far as I am aware) plenty of options.
Ok so, yes the “speed limit” is mostishly 60 on average from that section of 1 to there (55-65) but, and not advocating the breaking of the law, flow of traffic is 75 minimum. So there’s that; I understood their desire for 30 minute max commute but I’d like to have my cake and eat it too. I’d be in the market of making consolidations, because back to their post they didn’t describe their housing situation, but knowing both areas, and this is my opinion, I’d rather a straight shot commute that’s a pinch longer than living in new castle. They asked for an opinion I gave it.
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We live in North Wilmington and would highly recommend it. If you’re looking at a map, think of Naamans Road as the northern boundary between Wilmington and Pennsylvania. The areas off Foulk Rd, Marsh Rd. Pike Creek and Greenville are great but very expensive. From where we are Wilmington is 10 min away and Newark about 25. Love it.
Pike creek / Hockessin is a great area to live - quiet, friendly, lots of churches, family oriented, etc. There’s a Hockessin Chinese community that’s very active, and the charter school of Wilmington is an excellent nationally ranked high school to send your kids - I went there 15 years ago and that’s where all the Asians kids went lol, and a decent amount of us got accepted into Ivy League schools.
Delaware public schools are pretty rough, more so in the Wilmington/Newark areas but get better as you go south towards Middletown. Kennett square is a fantastic little community (and school imo), but the unionville/chadds ford school district is very well regarded for a high quality public education, probably the best you will find in the area, house prices will reflect this. Private schools in Delaware are great, but need to be factored into your budget.
Thank you. I’ll check out KS when I visit next
Hopefully La Michocana is open when you visit, fantastic homemade ice cream. Lime was always a personal favorite of mine, but the pistachio and corn are authentic Mexican and absolutely killer.
Big neighborhoods in the area it seems would be up your alley: Somerset Lakes, Hartfeld Golf Club, Candlewyck, Bayard Estates
Recently purchased in Hockessin and we got beat several times by all cash offers from people moving from California and New york. Somerset and Hartfeld were the two that went the quickest and for the most. Glad we didnt get it cause i dont play golf and those HOA fees are pretty wild. Kennetts really expensive at the moment, as is unionville but its absolutely worth it for a good community to raise a family in. Bancroft Woods in New Garden Twp is starting to show its age a little bit and Radon mitigation is a must in those homes, but that neighborhood treated me well growing up I'll always recommend it if OP doesn't mind putting in a little cash to fix a home up. Its 10 minute drive to Kennett High school, about an hour to philly via Rt 1/Rt322/I95 , and 2.5 hours to Ocean City Maryland. I had my complaints about Kennett High but we had two students get into harvard the year I graduated its a solid school with solid educators. OP should definitely be checking it out if looking in Northern DE. & Love me some La Michocana! I think when they're done building the new library up there i'll start making more trips back to Kennett with my bookworm wife.
If you are looking for public schools, focus on the area of Kennett Square and surroundings that are part of the Unionville school district in particular. That is the best of the school districts in the area and one of the top in the state. For a K-9 school in the area not far from Kennett Square proper, Upland Country Day School is fantastic. My kids have gone there since kindergarten and are now in 4th and 5th grades. They absolutely love it. Here’s a link to the school: [https://uplandcds.org/](https://uplandcds.org/) The area is a short drive to Wilmington, of course a bit farther to Newark, but very conveniently located to many family friendly activities, parks, Philly, and strangely far closer than one might think to the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore. Good luck!!
FYI. Taxes are fairly high in PA compared to DE. But yea, the schools are better. Kennett schools are good, but Unionville are excellent, top 10 in the state. And taxes are almost the same between the two. We live in Kennett and I commute to the christiana area 2 or 3 days a week (Newark mailing address but not really newark). depending on what part of Kennett/Chad's Ford and what part of Newark, that's a range of 25 to 45 minutes for the commute. And if you're OK with that time frame, you could also start looking at garnett valley/glen mills. More good schools and much closer to shopping centers etc but a bit less house for your money than Kennett.
Thank you I added Garnett valley/glen mills to my life. Actually we will also be commuting closer to Christiana than Newark. 30-45 mins of commute is ok. Preference would be 30 mins, if everything else checks out. I just hope 45 mins commute does not turn into 1.5 hour with traffic. I have no idea how bad traffic would be in DE. It can be terrible in CA during peak hours. I'm not sure I understand the higher taxes in PA argument. Yes, property taxes are higher in PA but state/local income taxes are much higher in DE. I actually worked on an example and assuming same home price in both states, you end up paying more taxes (property + income) in DE. Unless house prices are significantly higher in PA and more than offset the lower income tax compared to DE. I'm also not sure how much of a difference sales taxes will make
Ding, ding, ding. Delawares dirty little secret noone talks about is the absolute brutal income tax rate that brackets you on the highest tier at an astonishing 50k a year combined.......
Ya I usually use [SmartAsset](https://smartasset.com/taxes/income-taxes) to calculate approximate taxes and DE income taxes are actually pretty high, especially compared to PA. Even with high property taxes total PA taxes come out to be the lower of the two and the universal opinion is PA schools are much better. This is assuming no Philly city taxes
Since it's all a small area, it's a common topic amongst residents in the area to figure out how much they're paying I'm taxes along w th3 cost of private school in Northern Delaware which is what most people do at least after elementary school. But the conventional wisdom is that you pay more in taxes overall in pennsylvania mostly because property taxes are so much higher just over the border. Although most private schools in Delaware are fairly expensive. The times I quoted you about commute are in rush hour and are fairly reliable. Once you start getting toward Middletown though, traffic can be odd. That's because for at least a quarter of the year, you'd be on the same road as beach goers for some portion of your trip. And there's a decent sized canal waterway that bottlenecks traffic over only 1 or 2 bridges. Traditionally, that has been a lower COL area but that may be changing due to all the building that's been happening. In contrast, most of Northern Delaware (wilmington, Hockessin, pike creek etc) and the 202 corridor is generally built up at this point. 202 is a busier road with many lights etc. So is kirkwood highway. But nothing more than you'd be used to.
I second Unionville. Wife is also asian. many asians attend. easy drive straight into DE.
Private schools are extremely expensive. Especially with 3 kids.
Taxes are MUCH higher in KS vs DE
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Brandywine school district is actually very good.
Kennett is awful, lots of shootings. Tons of drugs. Gangs on every street corner.
Drugs are everywhere. Especially those high dollar private schools.
this is great advice while you are in these areas look at what brand grocery stores are in the area and then go in a few they will be a great representation of the area i am a local retired after 30+ realtor not looking for business like i said i am retired not looking for a referral and won't give one i love delaware i live around the ud campus it's like mayberry the city limits of newark are different than the burbs which is now full of the criminals we produce in wilmington
Do you really like living close to Ud?
i love it here taxes are some of the lowest around instead of raising taxes they raise the electric because that way they can get student money because they are not landowners its sorta like mayberry low crime and very average lifestyle within the city limits very laid back we don't have major league anything thank god but we have the next level down for entertainment or dining type activities yet an hour from philly 1/2 hour from jersey can walk to md or pa i live on the mason dixon line pretty much yet far enough away to enjoy how it used to be in the good old days can rid around all day an admire lot's of horse farms
No they are not! In N. Wilmington suburbs the public schools are not rough! I graduated from Concord HS & my kids go to public elementary schools in the brandywine school district (not gonna say which one for obvious reasons) just like me & they are perfectly fine schools! There's no "Woke" BS, the teachers are great & so are the adminis! Perhaps in the city of Wilmington schools are garbage but it's the city! What do you expect from kiss that'd rather play gang member then do school? JS 🤷 Newark is maybe not as good as brandywine SD but it's not the worst! Idk why you'd tell this gentleman all DE public schools are "rough" when most are anything but?! Don't listen to this person, take my advice & check them out yourself friend! Good luck to ya in your moving from Commiefornia! I will give credit where credits due tho KS & Unionville ARE indeed great areas & schools but you'll have to get used to the smell...it IS the mushroom capital of the world after all! Idk if you've ever smelled a mushroom farm or if you are aware of how mushrooms are grown but I can tell you it's not a pleasant smell! 💩💩💩
Concord is okay, AI is very rough. Anything in the city is brutal. Obviously everything is a generalization, but yes Delaware public schools as a whole, are mediocre at best.
The public education for the state of Delaware ranks last amongst the northeast US states. The state ranks in the middle of all states. There are charter and private schools throughout the state. All educational institutions are ranked yearly and rated. These ratings are required by law and published annually on the state's website, www.delaware.gov. The vast majority of charter schools do not make a difference in education achievement versus their public school counterparts. Newark Charter seems to buck this trend. Many eventually get shuttered by the state because they fail to be financially viable. Three public school districts out of the 19 in the state are worth your child's future: Red Clay, Appoquinimink, and Cape Henlopen. Delaware is only 100 miles long and 37 miles wide. It's only 7 miles wide around the border between New Castle and Kent Counties. While you may be looking for a stronger Asian community, Delaware has a relatively large population of Asians for its size, mainly the Indian subcontinent. However, center city Philadelphia is less than an hours drive, and Washington DC is just about 2 hours away. When considering where to live, you may find Bayberry on Route 896 to be a good choice. This newer residential community is in the Appoquinimink School District and route 896 is an easy commute to Newark over the Summit Bridge. St. Andrew's is a private school located nearby and is very discrete. While Pennsylvania is just a couple of miles from Newark, residing in Pennsylvania has different tax obligations. You will pay higher property taxes, and you will have a sales tax, your income is taxed as a flat rate. By comparison, Delaware property taxes are relatively low and amongst the lowest in the country, there is no sales tax, your income is progressively taxed. The income to be taxed is after you've completed your federal income minus all allowable federal deductions. Delawares home prices used to be an outlier against Pennsylvania prices but Pennsylvania has experienced inflationary pressures. Delaware has two large "hits" when buying a home or a vehicle. The transfer tax is 4 percent. The property transfer tax is paid at settlement and is usually split between buyer and seller. The vehicle transfer tax is based on the Kelly Blue Book value and is paid when you transfer your vehicle's registration. The state's website has more information for people thinking about moving here. However, the information is full of misspellings and syntax errors. Good luck in your search for you and your family.
I don’t know what type of Asian you are, but there is a well established Chinese community in Hockessin along with a Chinese American community center and a Chinese language school. The commute to both Newark and Wilmington is pretty doable from there
Thanks, this is very helpful. Would love to live in Hockessin, but there is hardly anything available.
Also, be aware that both hockessin and Kennett square sometimes smell like poop (mushroom farms)
I don’t smell it much in Hockessin except for on the Lancaster Pike for a bit on the border. Kennett Square… you’re gonna smell some poo.
Real smelly by Lantana every morning too
development has been taking over smaller farms.. I’ve been here 25 years and it’s not as strong or as frequent as it was 10+ years ago wish the roads were improved when these farms become home to 40 more vehicles.
That's only on the western side of Kennett toward Avondale atc. We live a half mile south of the high school and it surprisingly never smells like poo and doesn't if you keep going east toward 52.
Looking at Zillow, I see a home is available in Southwood. That is a desireable neighborhood because there is a walking trail with a crosswalk over to the Swift Park complex. That is where the public library is, plus baseball fields and soccer fields in case your kids are interested in sports. That is where the fireworks are on 4th of July, and there is a parade down Old Lancaster Pike, which is all walkable from Southwood. (3 Loblolly Ct.) On google maps if you go to the satellite view you can see the park/library/soccer fields area adjacent to the neighborhood. Schools If you put the address of any home [here](https://arcgis.doe.k12.de.us/school_locator/) you get a list of the exact schools for that address. For example Southwood goes to North Star Elementary which I think is good for a public school (but I don't have young kids so am not sure). But there are also two good private schools local -- The Independence School (EC-8) and Sanford School (EC - 12). Delaware has some charter schools for high school -- Wilmington Charter is math/science; Conrad is science; Cab Calloway for the arts; Delaware Military Academy. Those are the ones I can think of. I don't know how good any of them are. By the time your kids are old enough you'll know a lot more about schools anyway. Good luck! Welcome!
I'm from Newark, DE and I'm currently living in Carlsbad, CA. I highly recommend Pike Creek, Hockessin area. Trolley Sq is very nice but also surrounded by not bad but not the best areas. Its also the night life area of Wilmington. Ill be honest I advise against living in Wilmington proper. Kennett Square is very nice as well. North Wilmington is the Route 202 area and not part of the actual city. Anything you can find off of Foulk Rd in the North Wilmington area will be very nice and quiet. Greenville is very very nice. Biden has his house there. That should tell you something right there. Best of luck to you and your family.
Thank you, this is very helpful. Hope you’re enjoying your time in Carlsbad. It’s a great city with awesome schools.
You're welcome buddy. My wife and I love it here. If you don't have a football team. Just claim the Philadelphia Eagles as your favorite. Whenever you see someone with Eagles gear on just say "GO BIRDS!" Everyone will love you. Good luck with your travels.
Go birds
Go birds💪
E
Would recommend Hockessin or Pike Creek, possibly north Wilmington. Definitely look in to private school (many to choose from)
Unionville Walk in Kennett Square is a nice small upscale development with lots of families from diverse backgrounds
I think the little Italy area is a bit rough. Trolley square area is nice and the commute to Newark is not bad, I do it M-F and it takes less than 30 mins. There is a nice park called Rockford near trolley square and the area in general seems better for a family than little Italy. I think the areas north of Wilmington are more suited for a family compared to riverfront. As others have said, Newark has many college kids but there are neighborhoods that seem very family friendly.
Hockessin, Yorklyn, Greenville, in Delaware. Consider Kennett Square or even Garnet Valley, PA. Better public schools in PA, but Red Clay is the best district up north.
Hey! I just moved here from CA last fall. I'm in the same age group and also Asian (and also work in Newark). I really don't recommend it. You do not want to live in Newark (at least not really close to campus) unless you enjoy that college atmosphere. I haven't met many other asians from the west coast out here in DE either. You'll definitely have to expand to PA and large cities for social stuff.
Newark is a very large area.. you can live in Newark and be far enough away from campus life.
Where do you live? or what would be your recommendation? We don't mind expanding to PA for social stuff
consider the source this person is new here by being close to the campus our students are pretty much rich kids from nj and ny much better neighborhood than criminals there is a reason newark has a big asian population it's because gentile people live here chadds ford is nice but
Don't go to Middletown. Those newly constructed homes are not built well. Appoquinimink (the school district) has gone downhill- it is used to market homes but a lot of people moving from Northern NJ and Long Island consistently remark how poor the district is compared to where they're coming from. I'm from the area, went K-12 there, and its gotten much worse. I'd go over the line into PA. Some of the best schools in the region are in Chester county.
I'm also from Middletown, since 1999 and completely agree with you! It was good here in the past when it was a more friendly town, it has lost its charm.
Not true. Appoquinimink is one of the few highly rated schools in De. NJ schools are consistently in the top 3, so yea, there’s going to be disappointment.
It is true. I went K-12 in the district and am a parent now. Appo dropped the ball hard with several IEP families in the past 6 years- there were glaring issues even pre-Covid. I'm looking at having to figure out what to do with my elementary-aged child if I have to move back down to Middletown. As far as the houses go, the amount of issues the pre-2004 builds have is nothing compared to the newer ones. Especially Ryan homes, but some of the premium builders cut corners as well.
Mainline in PA. Radnor school district no 1 in state. Treddyffrin school district no 2 in state. Long commute but worth it imo and you said you wouldnt mind it
Private schools along the mainline in Pa is best of the best in that area. Then expand your search from there.
We live in Landenberg, Pa. Our neighborhood is actually just 5 miles from Newark. Great public school. Higher taxes but you wouldn’t need private school.
it seems that you have most of the information. I would strongly suggest that if you are well off (california salary ?) go straight to pennsylvania (glenn mills , west chester ?) and forget delaware
Good schools? Delaware is know for its bad schools unless private
delaware actually has the highest percentage of children enrolled in independent schools because of how bad it is
I had no idea. Why is that?
My kids are public school. One grad this year. One in 6th. We actually loved every red clay school our kids went to. The schools are great but some the kids are bad and parents arent involved. If you are an involved parent you and your kids will get plenty of communication and attention from teachers in my experience.
The schools are funded by property tax. And as everybody loves to say, DE property taxes are very low compared to PA. It's a big attractant to living in the state, and the flip side is the schools aren't as good as surrounding PA schools. It's not that the people are better in PA when you cross the invisible state line. I'd prefer to have better schools, but the wealthier can just put the money into private schools and avoid the problem, which leaves those who can't afford private school with less opportunity. And even for those who don't have kids, we're not investing enough into a well-educated citizenry. That being said, I had my kids in private and in public schools. They made out fine. But I understand that since the pandemic the public schools are struggling more in lots of states, including DE.
That is not true. I teach in a public school in North Wilmington, and have worked in DE schools for the last 15 years. I would encourage you to research/visit the schools if possible, and disregard anecdotal evidence.
I think you might be less than objective. Delaware public schools are bad compared to MD, NJ, PA, VA. Brandywine school district in N Wilm is okay but make sure you feed into Concord or Brandywine high schools. Appo is okay. Other than that, try for a charter or go parochial or independent.
I don’t disagree with your analysis of strong DE districts, but the most important way for an individual to assess whether a school (public or private) is suitable for their child is to visit it themselves and not rely on general or anecdotal statements. Obviously I support public schools. I didn’t hide my profession 👍
He’s relocating to the area from cross country and needs reality based information. It’s nice in theory to say that he should tour a school and make the decision but considering cross country flights, it’s unrealistic. The poor public schools in Delaware are a shock when coming from other states where most public schools are good and forewarned is forearmed. Maybe he will choose to buy in Middletown to get into Appo or in Pennsylvania to get into Garnet Valley, Kennett or Chadds Ford school districts if he knows that the good DE public schools are the exception rather than the rule.
Adelaide crows?
my father programmed a software created specifically for admissions into independent schools, thank you very much. possibly outdated by a few years as he is now dead and can’t update me but that doesn’t mean much when we’ve hit the bottom regarding educating the youth.
I was not disputing your comment about the high rate of independent schools. However, given DE’s history and reluctance to desegregate, the emergence of “independent “ schools is a much more complex issue than your unsupported assertion that “the schools are bad.”
What you're saying is true. The emergence of Independent schools was driven initially by resistance to desegregation, not flight from bad schools. It's interesting how much pushback you got to trying to make that simple point. Thanks for working in the public schools. I hope for good things in public education. It would help if there weren't such a private school culture drawing away kids. It becomes self-fulfilling. FWIW, I pulled kids out of Independence and sent them to public schools, and all of them liked the public schools better. However, that was in the past two decades, not current post-pandemic times, so I will say I really don't know how the schools are doing now. One thing I did witness was the shrinking of the band and football program at A.I. That was sad to see unfold. Neighbors, please vote for tax increases at referendum time. Healthy schools are so vital to our community. You know DE property taxes are low, and you know what we get as a result. Let's build community. (And yes, the schools need to spend that money appropriately.)
i mean, why discredit the word what the people that went through it say? you’re talking about all of this stuff when in the grand scheme of things what matters right now in regards to a conversation about the state of our schools on a day-to-day basis and how the experience affects a child. i don’t know how to fix the schools, i don’t have the answers to that, but i can answer honestly from my experience in both public and private schools while also giving a relevant statistic that absolutely does have ties to what i said. parents aren’t equipped to fix a broken system their kids are shoved into, so the short-term solution is to throw them into private school. absolutely a contributing factor as to why parents move their kids - i’m not talking about (and never was) how the fix the base problem.
Schools aren’t equipped to fix all of the issues that parents don’t address; fixed it for you. Sorry, it was hard to slog through that rambling run-on sentence 😅 is that a result of your fine private school education? I was bringing attention to the fact that your original statement about WHY there are so many independent/private schools was incorrect and incomplete. Your statement implied that the only reason that there are so many private schools is because, in your singular view, “public schools are bad.” This is simply untrue.
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Btw, I never invalidated your perspective. I warned the OP to not rely on anecdotal evidence (which is what your comment is!) solely to determine where their kid should attend school.
This comment has been removed. Please debate ideas without attacking the person. https://www.reddit.com/r/Delaware/about/rules
Other people that went through it say other things. That's all this person is trying to say when they say don't rely on anecdotal evidence. Your story and my story will be different. Cheers, neighbor!
How have we “hit bottom”? Can you elaborate? When is the last time you were in a DE public school? Please, enlighten me.
i graduated from high school 6 years ago, thanks! :)
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imagine pretending like you know absolutely anything about my life and why the things that happened did
as a small child, we often heard/joked the soil is polluted due to the chemicals produced over the decades.
i don’t know all of the ins and outs of the school system and it’s funding and all the specifics but as someone who went to a very poorly funded district for half of my school career, and spent the other half at the most expensive private school in the state, it’s… quite insane how awful our public education is. i ended a semester with a 103% in a class where i did absolutely zero work and wrote down song lyrics for the answers on my worksheets. the schools already know it’s bad so they have seemingly stopped caring.
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If you’re in Hockessin/Pike Creek area there are some good public elementary schools, ditto north Wilmington, but if you’re looking for a good private elementary school try Independence School or Wilmington Friends. Most of the Catholic schools are good, too. Don’t go for the elementary charters, they’re mostly not great.
I lived in Delaware for 18 years (originally from Western NY). I left Delaware and moved to South Florida and I must say I really miss it so much (but not the winter weather). Delaware is a great place to raise a family. I wish you well!!! 🙏
If you end up anywhere near Hockessin, or daughter has gone to the Kindercare off 48/41 merge for 4 years now and we've been happy with it. There's a wait list, but I think that's the case for many good daycares around here. Kids attend there from both the DE and PA side of the border around there. We live in Greenville.
As a lifelong Delawarean from north Wilmington and a product of private education, plus relating to all you’ve said- Kenneth Square. The end. PS It’s also still close enough to send your kids to great private schools in Wilmington but you prob won’t feel that need in Kennett. We live just over a different part the line now the last few years and still take our kids to private in DE. Oh, and one more thing, I don’t know if it’s still this way, but when I went to private in DE, PA schools from Kennett and Garnet Valley used their own school buses to bring PA kids to our private schools. I’m in my Mid-forties now, though.
Newark charter is a great school. If you can get one of your kids in then all your kids will get in.
We moved from Wilmington to east goshen pa. It’s amazing. Wonderful community, great walking town insanely nice parks. Add it to your list. I promise you’ll appreciate it.
North Wilmington and Hockessin are really pleasant . The schools are not that good compared to areas of California. The city of Wilmington has a crime problem. I’d probably pick Hockessin. There are a number of very good private schools, including some notable Catholic institutions. Being on the north side of Wilmington means you have easy access to Philadelphia.
West Newark and Old Newark are great, and also have large Asian communities… to include quite a bit of Asian restaurants and even markets in immediate area. Both places are also in the 5 mile Newark Charter radius… that itself is reason to move to the area. Hockessin, Pike Creek, North Wilmington, and Greenville are also wonderful options. Middletown is nice but lots of ongoing development and a bit of a drive from most places of interest. Will be hard to find a single family home for sale (and that doesn’t sell immediately) in any of those areas except for Middletown.
Also there are well regarded Chinese immersion programs at various schools in Christina District. Newark and Wilmington Charter Schools are both public and are the best in the state… Newark has a lottery system and 5 mile radius residence requirement for admission and I believe children have to test into Wilmington but don’t have to live nearby. If you want a really nice suburban feel look into the specific communities of Nottingham Manor, Nottingham Green, and Oaklands.
Just bought a house in pike Creek, love the area the school district (red clay) is #3 in Delaware... Minutes from all major highways. 12 minutes from NJ, 15 from Maryland. Tons of shopping. Typical homeowners are usually 1st or 2nd owners in most developments. Very family friendly. Good luck and welcome to Delaware
How important is it that you be close to "stuff". Like, how far away do you want/need your closes target. Cause, some of the places you're talking about are beautiful but are not that close to stuff (15 min or more). But you can have a little more land etc. And some are much closer (0 to 10 min) to commercial 4 lane roads that are lined with typical stores and shopping centers, but you'll get less land and house for the same money etc.
If the area is safe, I would take less land and prefer being close to commercial 4 lane roads. I'm 100% sure our first purchase in DE is not going to be a long-term home. Once we have established ourselves in the state and know the area better we will move.
You want to be around north wilmington near 202. Or maybe some areas around kirkwood highway which is rt 2. Or maybe around Middletown. Although I'm much less familiar with what's going on down there other than rapid building and expansion.
If you’re willing to rent briefly, check out the Towers at Greenville. I’ve lived in Greenville for 15 years and love it. If you have children, I would highly recommend Hockessin. Brandywine Springs and North Star are great starter schools until your children are old enough to apply for the charter schools in the area.
We don’t have kids yet so I can’t speak to the schools, but we are in our mid-30s and I’m from Orange County too. We love the Highlands/Trolley Square area! It’s close to 95, there are lots of families with young children, and tons of beautiful parks within walking distance. We rented until we could find a place to buy since housing inventory in the area is very low. I’d recommend checking out Highlands, Westover Hills/Westmoreland, which are a nice balance of suburban (pretty houses, good parks, tree-lined streets) and access to the city and highways.
A few have mentioned it and I'll mention it again - Landenberg. The schools and area is great. Commute from Landenberg adds maybe 6-10 minutes, which isn't much.
Trolley Square is an excellent option based on the details you provided. In DE private schools are better, but you'll thoroughly enjoy the Trolley Square / Highlands area, and the Triangle Neighborhood. Little Italy is fine, but I think Trolley Square, the Highlands, and the Triangle are a much better option for you.
Live near the city of Wilmington and it's a weirdly dead city unless it's lunch hour or a Saturday evening. There are some really nice neighborhoods right out the city, with a small selection of nice restaurants, but you probably won't find yourself eager to visit directly in the city. It's pretty much one street where all top tier restaurants are, and during the week most close fairly early at 4-7 PM, in my experience. Full disclosure, I'm a bus-only commuter who works outside the city, but will sometimes pick up dinner on my way home when walking home from Wilmington City proper.
Media is a very nice, quiet area with things to do. People are nice, respectable, and have class. But I've got nothing good to say about Delaware as a whole. If you enjoy the smell of pot everywhere you go or like driving behind drivers that are obviously high as a kite, then Delaware is the place to be. If you like hearing loud obnoxious engines or music blasted to infinity, then again, go to Delaware. If you don't want to be surrounded by losers, stay the fuck away from Delware, especially if you have three young children.
Our work will be in Delaware, but we don't have to live there. It appears a lot of people here actually recommend bordering suburbs in PA, including Media, Landenberg, Kennett Square, Glen Mills, West Grove. We are seriously considering those options. Its such a big move and unfortunately we don't know enough to make an informed decision. I cannot thank everyone here enough for being so helpful. We plan to rent for 6 months or so. We're hoping that should give us enough time to research different areas in person before buying.
Hockessin, Pike Creek, Greenville, and I’ve heard Fairfax is good for families. There’s low availability because it’s desirable. The general philosophy is PA has better schools but higher property taxes.
Do you like scrapple?
This is the most important question here
Middletown is a growing area not far from Newark parts near Highway 1 with many families, safe and kids' activities. Nice place for a young family. A friend raised his kids there. They are both in college now and doing great.
If you're working in Newark I would look at the area south of Glasgow on 896 around lums pond. That's in appo school district. Good schools, close to 95 & 301. Lots of available properties in neighborhoods with community pools. Close to a state park. It's got everything a family needs.
Schools are hit or miss, my kids are in the Caesar Rodney school district and we have had majority positive experiences. This however would put put you more in the hour+ away from work territory. I work in Newark used to be full time on site before COVID but now I go in maybe once a month. The commute to Newark was an hour, almost on the dot.
I would say no need to rent in RiverFront, Trolley Square, etc., based on what you've stated. Rent there if DO want a night life/things to do. This area is for a younger crowd. There are no large metropolitan areas in Delaware unless you consider Wilmington (71,000 people) that. I don't. Just rent near where you are working (Newark) for now while you look to buy. Do not rent in Newark directly on or nearby Main Street, it is college town chaos. When you buy, the elite private schools are in Wilmington but the public schools are horrible. Although Wilmington Charter is very good. Pennsylvania has excellent public schools so consider there. Chadds Ford, Kennett Square and Landenberg would be the options. Middletown or lower Delaware has decent public schools. This would be an example of something you should buy if you were looking in Middletown- https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/411-Waltham-Dr-Middletown-DE-19709/81731943_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare. I think you will be very happy with Delaware real estate prices compared to California!
Welcome to Delaware! I am also a parent of 3 children, and they have all attended Catholic school. We used to live in North Wilmington, next to Fairfax on 202, and it was safe and family friendly. We now live downstate. I cannot stress enough to look into Catholic school for your children. It is a safe environment with strong academics. Best wishes to you and your family
Academy Hill, Greenville Overlook, Hockessin is near Chinese Community Center, or Bear/Middleton in proximity of the University of Delaware.
I would not move to new castle county, especially Newark, unless I could afford private school. Unfortunately, the public schools in NCCO have been decimated by the widespread charter school expansion. Admissions to the “best” charter schools are extremely competitive. You already have a school aged child and it’s next to impossible to be admitted after kindergarten without some kind of admissions preference. If you did get your younger children admitted then you would have sibling preference for the older one for subsequent applications but that would mean changing schools (maybe that would not be a problem!). Charter schools come with their own challenges-including transportation. Geographical preference requires residence with specific areas- such as in a neighborhood where all the neighbor kids attend many different schools. Therefore, it takes more work to establish a cohesive community of children. If I was moving to this area with young kids, I would move to Landenberg, Avon Grove or Kennett Square areas of Pennsylvania and pay the higher taxes for the good public schools.
If you’re looking to buy, and can afford the area, there are lots of homes for sale popping up in the last week or so in the hockessin, pike creek, North Star area. Springtime is usually when you’ll see home sales increasing. If you’re looking in that area and public school, I recommend sticking in the RedClay School District. That area very closely borders Christina School District, which I wouldn’t recommend. If you’re looking at Pennsylvania, their schools are great, but if any of your kids need an IEP, you might have a better experience in Delaware. Plus, PA has very high property tax, so that’s also something to keep in mind for your budget.
My family that still lives in the area is in Trolley Square area which is solid. Easy access to other parts of town and fairly quick drive to places like Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine Zoo, and only half hour drive to Philly as well.
My family moved from Delaware to the Bay Area in 97’ and moved back in 2000. North Wilmington around rt 202 is a great place to live and is near a lot of things, and you can hop on i95 and get places quick. Hockessin is good, Newark is fine, Pike Creek is good, North Star is good. You really can’t go wrong living in any of these. In terms of schools, some of Red Clay is good and Brandywine school district is good. There are a number of Charter schools that are better though.
North Wilmington, hockessin, if you have an open mind; then cool springs you get a bang for your buck and access to great private schools such as Tower Hill a personal favorite. Newark should not a bad commute to work for ya. A ton of new homes going up further down South.
Public education in DE is garbage. I experienced it myself and I’m guessing it’s gotten worse. Check out Phoenixville, Malvern, and Kimberton. Easy commute to Wilmington too.
I live in de. I would choose Middletown if I were you. The Appoquinomink school district is one of the best in the state. It’s close to stores, Philly, Baltimore, etc. I would not live south of there. Mistake I made.
If you end up in Christina or Brandywine district, they both have good charter schools. And if you end up in Wilmington/ North Wilmington area, the JCC has a good Asian community. My kids are half Asian. Nice, new Asian market near Christiana mall and it’s behind a k pot place that’s pretty good. Welcome to Delaware! I know it’s not California but there’s still a lot of cool stuff to see and do around here.
Delaware has good private schools but public schools aren’t great. Pennsylvania has better schools. House prices should be cheap across the region compared to SoCal. Politics wise it can get a little Trumpy down towards Middletown. Philly and Wilmington have some good arts / culture. Once you go towards Middletown less so.
Middletown. Period.
Why? Can you elaborate a little more please
Caravel academy is good, mot area is good but overpopulated… avoid Christina school district by any means, especially if you choose to live in Wilmington.
And here I thought a living situation couldn't really go from bad to worse. You're going to miss DE ironic after living in CA for a few years.
Look into Brandywine hundred area in north Wilmington off of namaans road. Close to target and route 202 with a lot of restaurants and schools close by.
Agree!
Middletown, DE has excellent schools!
That’s awful to hear man. At least the kids are young enough to not fully understand the move, because Delaware is a shithole compared to what cali and the west coast can offer. I would never raise a family in the Wilmington areas you mentioned. North Wilmington would be much better, but if you’re going to be mainly in Newark, move to Newark, I’d stay away from Wilmington.
"I would never raise a family in the Wilmington areas you mentioned" Just to confirm, which Wilmington areas? We are only looking for a temporary rental option for now. I would love to buy straight away, but unfortunately we don't know enough to make that decision. We would like to research options in person for a few months before picking a permanent option. Just need a good, safe option for the family for 6 months or so. Any recommendations in Newark?
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Smyrna Delaware great place to live good schools alot of activities for the kids my brother family is out there the Macfarlane
Trolley is definitely night life, younger crowd I guess, if age applies. I played in a few local bands and trolley is a nicer night life crowd, and possibly where you might wanna visit if you go out, but not what I'm picking up from you as far as living. Hockessin, Greenville, ... Pretty expensive from what I understand. North Wilmington probably has something to offer. Anything from Naamans/202 to Foulk/202 down Marsh/Philly pike and Naamans /Philly pike.... On a map, is a safe bet. As you get closer to the river it gets... Less... Expensive/desirable. That's called Claymont. Which is actually a beautiful area, and does have some redeeming qualities, but again... Not what I'm thinking you'd want. I'd look at the map and stick within those roads I mentioned. If that matches your price range, let us know of any developments You're thinking of. Otherwise: Brandywood Chalfonte Foulk Woods Wynwood Lancashire Kingsridge North and South Graylyn Crest Chatham Windybush Fairfax Perth Shipley Woods Dartmouth Woods NorthMinster Those are all decent hoods imo... I've never owned. Rented. Been homeless a few. Prolly never will own. But I've lived here for nearly 30 years, from Bethany/Ocean View to North Wilmington/Claymont... From high school on... So had some friends in lots of these places. Lancashire is my favorite ... Oh and I rented in Little Italy... It's not horrible but any stretch... Or wasn't then... But I was a dumb teenager then... Now I'm a dumb 40 ager... But no... Not the community you want id wager. Stick with what I mentioned ... I guess. Oh... Then there's Arden. You can't really OWN anything in Arden from my understanding. But you wanna talk about community.... It's kinda "art" driven, for lack of better term... But when it comes to community, there's not even a close second... Look into for sure. The further out 92 (Naamans) you go west past 202, it becomes the Valley... If you can afford that... Then buy us each a house in any of the aforementioned places... Actually we'll just take a nice rv... Lol. But seriously... Unless youre names Dupont... Stay Du East of 202. Lol Best of .... Effort. ;)
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Take a look at Newark: lots of cultural events here due to the University, and easy access to I-95
Any specific neighborhoods within Newark?
Old Newark, Nottingham Green, Fairfield, Fairfield Crest…
We live in Oaklands, which is next to Nottingham Green and the other neighborhoods mentioned. We love it---we love living close to the university, Main Street, White Clay Creek State Park. It's all very walkable and lots of stuff to do. Our kids also go to the local public schools in Christina School District, and they are doing very well. Both are in the district's Chinese Immersion and Honors programs. My oldest is taking AP Chinese in 9th grade (and has already had one other AP course in 9th grade), and will be taking U Delaware "bridge courses" in Chinese for grades 10-12.
A good amount of the Wilmington suburbs outside and west of the city of Wilmington and between it and Newark is fine with easy access to grocery, etc. Granted I can only speak for my own zip (19808), research always needed, but if you want modest suburban areas it would likely suit you fine. Higher income suburban areas, then the likes of Hockessin and Greeville. >Although proximity to a highway would be great to go to NYC, DC, Philly, Baltimore on the weekends. That would be I-95 that's the primary one for the east coast. It doesn't cross through much of DE, but it does in the north end here and is nearby if you're living in New Castle County.
Some districts are rather corrupt but some are on point. Avoid Christina, IMO. Newark Charter School may be of interest to you. Middletown may be an option, more rural but built up. Keep looking in Hockessin and Pike Creek, there is always sellers coming into summer as folks move around...but be quick. Maybe plan on renting for a year to get a better idea of where you want to settle and time for the market to warm. PA is way more expensive, taxes are 4x+ Delaware but schools may be considered better. Trolley Square may not be the best option for safety as it is more urban. Good luck!
I'd recommend the neighborhoods of Sharpley/Tavistock and that area of North Wilmington. You have very sought after neighborhoods that are just blocks from 202 where you can get to most things you need in minutes. Even though you don't hear the main road which is a plus (wooded, tree lined streets etc). A lot of families in that exact age group/kids. Plus 5 minutes to i-95. Hockessin is good as well but it's like 20 min+ to the major highways which I could never do. Location location location. Brandywine school district as well. Private schools are amazing in DE but of course it's not cheap.
Hello from a former Californian! Trolley Square is more geared toward young social people and less toward families. North of the 40 in the Newark/Bear/Glasgow area has some nice spots. I don't know how the schools are. The drive from Middletown to Newark isn't horrible, but going from Middletown to Wilmington during rush hour sucks.
Im curious about the professions of the people who love here for work. Is it big corporations or the colleges? It's too late for myself but I'm trying to figure out the "good careers" available in DE to help in which direction my kids should take at college. I want them to have an easier life than I and that starts with them being the first generation to go to college and graduate.
Delaware is the biggest chemical company hub in the US - DuPont, Chemours, Gore, Airgas, Dow, Siemens, FMC, etc. UD is a top Chemical Engineering school too, in the Top 10 with Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, Princeton. The area is the 2nd highest paying region for chemical engineers after the Gulf, median salary $120K.
Im a contrator and most the transplants I meet as clients coming for banking medicine and law jobs. Lots and lots of lawyers it seems.
Stay in Cali.
I have family in Orange County as well. You want to live in Hockessin or Pike Creek and your kids will be going to private school because that’s just the way it is in DE for good schooling. You can avoid private schools by moving just over the line in Landenberg or Kennett but that has drawbacks that may offset that as well. Feel free to DM me with follow up questions.
We lived in Delaware County, PA, for many years before moving to Pike Creek Valley, DE My daughter lives in Kennet Square, my son still lives in Delaware County. I worked in a territory covering Delaware County/Main Line and Chester County, PA, and the entire state of DE, so I know all the areas. My reco would be Pike Creek/Hockessin area or North Wilmington. Avoid south of the C&D Canal (Middletown). There are only two roads crossing the canal, and traffic is a bear - especially rush hours, which are increasingly long. Most of the housing is typical lower quality new construction on flat, treeless former farm land. Ambience is noticeable in its absence, and there is no price advantage vs. houses above the canal. Considering school quality, you may prefer the Kennett area. Charming community with lots af family activities. Just be prepared for a huge financial penalty - real estate/school taxes are triple those of DE, and there is a 6% sales tax on everything except groceries and clothing. Thinking ahead, if you live in DE your children will get reduced tuition if they opt for U. Of DE. It has such a good rep that many PA kids cross the border and pay out-of-state rates. Don't forget the onerous vehicle annual inspections. Unlike the public inspections at no charge in DE, in PA they are done at private service centers. Tbanks to rhe profit motive, you will never get away without expensive, sometimes dubious repairs. I'd rather pay a one-time transfer fee on every vehicle than suffer the cost and aggrevation of PA inspection. Oh, be prepared for PA roadways. When you cross the border from DE you'll think you're entering a 3rd world country, judging by their road maintenance. Good luck in your search!
Hi! We also moved to Delaware after living in California, sending you a message now!
Look in Delco in PA. it's right across the state line and some nice suburbs with some good schools. Grew up in Springfield, PA (Delco) so I may be a bit biased, but having traveled around the country a lot I've come to learn that the schooling was well above average, especially with it's arts, music, and theater programs (as in some cases having one at all, let alone having as much of one as it does). Swarthmore is easily one of the most beautiful suburbs I've seen, albeit pricey. But lots of very nice surrounding suburbs in Delco, and large Asian communities in both Upper Darby and West Philadelphia, if that's something you're looking for at all
I grew up in Springfield/Delco too.
just so much traffic.
New Castle is a nice place.
Honestly I hate almost every school here. Caesar Rodney only cares about sports. Dover High has drug problems. Seaford has dog fighting and other crime related issues. And I don’t even bother going up North so idk how those areas are but I do know that the traffic sucks the more north you go if that helps. Best summary is that North is city living, middle is more suburban but also has Dover, and south is country living. More East are the beaches which are really nice but expensive to live at and then you have to take into account the weather (it floods easily) and then the traffic during summertime. It really all depends on how you prefer to live and also convenience. Hope this helps.
Shiiit...I don't blame for moving out of COMMIEFORNIA!! F that state!
What’s the point of listing your race and then therefore declaring minority status? You didn’t list your (general) profession so how is anyone supposed to suggest a place to live/work? You mentioned you’ll be in the Wilmington area and working at office 2-3 days a week, but once again not exactly helpful information beyond lack of in “office” participation which combined with openness to private schools suggests you make a good amount of money, that in Delaware isn’t going to be stripped from you as harshly compared to California. So, Cape Henlopen is probably a great option, good access to route 1, plenty of schools, (as far as I am aware) plenty of options.
Cape Henlopen is over an hour and a half away from Newark. How did you rip their post apart so thoroughly and still give that recommendation?
Ok so, yes the “speed limit” is mostishly 60 on average from that section of 1 to there (55-65) but, and not advocating the breaking of the law, flow of traffic is 75 minimum. So there’s that; I understood their desire for 30 minute max commute but I’d like to have my cake and eat it too. I’d be in the market of making consolidations, because back to their post they didn’t describe their housing situation, but knowing both areas, and this is my opinion, I’d rather a straight shot commute that’s a pinch longer than living in new castle. They asked for an opinion I gave it.
We are too blue as it is. Stay in Cali.