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Hockessin, DE

A town of about 13,439 people in New Castle County, part of the Philadelphia area. Resident comments and photos are about Hockessin; job numbers cover the wider area.

The Philadelphia area:College town · College teaching jobs 1.6x the U.S. share
Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Hockessin

Hindu Temple Delaware Pic
Hindu Temple Delaware Pic · Photo: Sam Holt, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hockessin Friends from south
Hockessin Friends from south · Photo: Smallbones, CC0
Lancaster Pike in Hockessin, facing north
Lancaster Pike in Hockessin, facing north · Photo: Cschroeder999, CC BY-SA 3.0
Swift Memorial Park in Hockessin
Swift Memorial Park in Hockessin · Photo: Cschroeder999, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Where it is
Hockessin
Hockessin in Delaware
Delaware in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of Hockessin's center.

17
grocery stores
67
restaurants
14
coffee shops
40
parks
38
playgrounds
3
libraries
1
live theater
2
museums
7
bookstores
11
gyms
11
bars
12
pharmacies
1
hospital

None found within 5 miles: movie theaters.

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of Hockessin.

Bike lanes and bike paths
13 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
89 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 331 rented homes in Hockessin, 34% rent for under $2,000 a month and 50% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 14%
$1,000 to $1,499: 2%
$1,500 to $1,999: 17%
$2,000 to $2,499: 5%
$2,500 to $2,999: 11%
$3,000 or more: 50%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in Hockessin rents for $2,500 to $2,999 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $5,000 to $5,998 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in Delaware

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Delaware DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Delaware voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

6 public school districts in this county, with about 64,854 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Red Clay Consolidated School District · Wilmington
14,771 students · 13.5 students per teacher · 28 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Christina School District · Newark
13,092 students · 11.9 students per teacher · 28 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Appoquinimink School District · Odessa
12,804 students · 14.9 students per teacher · 20 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Brandywine School District · Wilmington
10,367 students · 13.3 students per teacher · 17 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Colonial School District · New Castle
9,132 students · 14 students per teacher · 15 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Delaware keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$280/week
about $14,600 a year
$182/week
about $9,500 a year
Toddler (2)$199/week
about $10,300 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$210/week
about $10,900 a year
$155/week
about $8,100 a year
School-age$106/week
about $5,500 a year

For an infant at a center: $280/week here, $237 across DE, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 13% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Delaware →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

4 colleges in the county around Hockessin. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

University of Delaware · Newark
Public, 4-year · 24,221 students · $16,080 in-state, $39,720 out-of-state
Wilmington University · New Castle
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 14,678 students · $12,330 a year
Goldey-Beacom College · Wilmington
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 1,074 students · $13,440 a year
Delaware College of Art and Design · Wilmington
Private nonprofit, 2-year · 104 students · $30,280 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$389,524
What a typical home sells for across the Philadelphia area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 59 min at rush hour
To downtown Philadelphia, PA, 41 miles. About 53 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
29 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $1,374 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in DE. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
1 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
26.9 per 100,000 people a year
158 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. DE average: 26.6 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 15 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 1,573 people without housing in the Delaware Statewide area (3 counties): 1,406 in shelters and 167 outside, up from 1,358 in 2024. DE: 15 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$89,901
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.74% of home value a year
About $740 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 6.60%
DE's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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