Delaware's southern counties feed state's growth

By Mike Chalmers, USA TODAYUpdated 1h 2m ago |

New residents flocked to Delaware's two southern counties during the past decade, setting a growth rate that far outpaced that of the state's more populous northern county, according to Census 2010 figures released Wednesday.

Kent County — home of the capital, Dover, and Dover Air Force Base— led the state's growth at 28.1%, increasing from 126,697 residents to 162,310 since 2000, the data show.

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In Sussex County, where beaches and low taxes have attracted thousands of retirees, the population grew 25.9%, from 156,638 in 2000 to 197,145.

New Castle County remained Delaware's most populous by far, with 538,479 people in 2010. It gained 7.6% over the 2000 figure of 500,265.

Overall, Delaware grew 14.6%, from 783,600 residents in 2000 to 897,934.

Delaware's Hispanic population nearly doubled, from 37,277 in 2000 to 73,221 in 2010. Hispanics, who can be of any race, make up 8.2% of the state's population, up from 4.8% in 2000.

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Asians were the state's fastest growing racial group, up 75.6% from 16,259 in 2000 to 28,549. Non-Hispanic whites grew 3.3% and Non-Hispanic blacks 25.8%.

The southern part of New Castle County saw pockets of heavy growth. The population of Middletown, just south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, nearly tripled in the past decade, growing from 6,538 residents in 2000 to 18,871 last year.

"Everything has grown," said Milan Reid, who moved to Middletown a decade ago.

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