It may be true that most folks from outside the U.S. have no idea where many of our states are, but when it comes to the Northeast, you’d probably be hard pressed to find many Americans who can map them all. That’s not because they’re not culturally significant or unique, but simply because they’re so darn small. Delaware, in particular, is a good example. It’s one of the smallest states in the U.S. (it’s almost 300 times smaller than Alaska), and yet this first state of our nation is arguably the most important in our history, and today, still has plenty of excitement to offer—it’s just packed into one tiny little area. Just which places in this small space are the most exciting? According to the latest analysis here at the Movoto Real Estate Blog, that honor goes to these 10 places, starting with our winner, Wilmington. 1. City of Wilmington
2. City of Newark
3. Town of Elsmere
4. Town of Smyrna
5. City of Dover
6. CDP of Pike Creek Valley
7. City of New Castle
8. CDP of Hockessin
9. CDP of Bear
10. Town of Middletown If you’re wondering how in the Delaware we came up with this order, just keep reading. We’ll go over the method behind this madness, and then why each of these places is more exciting than the rest.

How We Created This Ranking

In order to create this most exciting of lists, we started by gathering up a list of all of the places in Delaware with populations of 5,000 people or more from the U.S. Census. This left us with a total of just 20 places. (Did we say Delaware was small? We meant absolutely tiny.) Then we used business listings and the 2010 Census to research each place for the following criteria:
  • Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
  • Live music venues per capita
  • Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, etc.)
  • Arts and Entertainment per capita (movie theaters, festivals, galleries, theaters, etc.)
  • Fast Food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better)
  • Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
  • Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)
  • Population density (the higher the better)
Next, we ranked each of these places with a score from one to 20, with the lowest score being the best. We averaged these rankings into one overall Big Deal Score, again, where the lowest score was the most exciting and all around awesome place, Wilmington. For a complete list at the 20 places and how they ranked, you can head to the bottom of the post; otherwise, we’ll take a closer look at these 10 gems, starting with our winner.

1. Wilmington

With over 70,000 residents, 6,498 of those per square mile, Wilmington is not only the largest city in Delaware, but it’s also the most densely populated. So even if you’re not up to much, you’re bound to run into somebody interesting while you’re out. Chances are, if you’re out in Wilmington, you’re up to something—probably something exciting. Wilmington ranked third in both the categories of nightlife and music venues per capita, and more impressive still, it ranked second for its overall number of arts & entertainment listings per capita. Of course, this shouldn’t surprise residents. After all, this is the city where festivals are practically a way of life, from the Italian, Greek, and Polish festivals to the Clifford Brown Jazz Fest and the Peoples’ Festival, just to name a few.

2. Newark

Before we get into just what makes Newark so awesome, we have to how a place that birthed the great Harry Coover not be exciting? You know, the inventor of Super Glue and recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation? No? Come on! It’s okay if you didn’t know, you probably just didn’t get a stellar education at the University of Delaware, which just so happens to be in Newark, which just so happens to be the reason that a whopping 57.34 percent of the city’s population is between 18 and 34. Aside from studying (undoubtedly about polymerising acrylic resin), it seems UD students have a few extracurricular activities to choose from, namely a buzzing nightlife, tons of music venues, and a variety of active life listings per capita.

3. Elsmere

Elsmere may not exactly be the biggest place in the state, with just over 6,000 residents, but it packs a whole lot of excitement in—and apparently people too, with 6,092 people per square mile. That’s pretty much  the entire city’s population. While Elsmere may not have quite the nightlife as elsewhere on our list, it came in first for both its number of restaurants per capita and its lack of fast food. It’s not just quantity either, since with places like Juliana’s Kitchen, Pochi, and even some pretty darn good Mexican food at El Pique, the cuisine is just about all the excitement you’ll need.

4. Smyrna

You know what’s more exciting than the capital of Delaware? Smyrna. This city just outside of Dover had more restaurants, more active life listings, a denser population, and more music venues per capita than its larger neighbor. In fact, Smyrna not only had more music venues per capita than Dover; it had more than the entire rest of the state—though, of course, locals know that the Smyrna Opera House is reason enough to move to town.

5. Dover

Home to several colleges and universities, including Delaware State University and Wesley College, it’s probably not a real shocker that Delaware had a high percentage of young folks—32.53 percent to be exact. Just like many cities with a robust young community, Dover had its fair share of bars (ranking sixth in nightlife) and quite a few active life options (eighth), but where it really shined was in its creative side, ranking fourth for both its arts and music venues per capita. Places like the Dover Opera House, the Children’s Theatre, and the beautiful Delaware State Museum are just a few reasons this city ranked so well in these categories. And it’s awesome.

6. Pike Creek Valley

Pike Creek Valley may not have a university of its own, but with several bike and walking trails connecting it pretty much directly to the University of Delaware and Newark’s downtown, it’s no wonder there is a high percentage of young people here (27.24 percent). It’s also no wonder Pike Creek Valley is a sought after place to live, what with all the restaurants per capita (the 11th most in the state), and of course the Middle Run Natural Area, White Clay Creek State Park, and Carousel Farm Park & Equestrian Center.

7. New Castle

Here’s the interesting thing about New Castle: It ranked 17th, one of the very last in the category, for its percentage of people between the ages of 18 and 34. And yet it had the most nightlife, the most active life, and the most arts listings per capita out of anywhere on our list There is the New Castle Courthouse Museum, several galleries, bars like JB McGinnes Pub & Grille, gyms and yoga studios galore, oh, and all of this takes place in one of the most architecturally stunning settings you can imagine. No big deal or anything.

8. Hockessin

Sure, Hockessin may have a lower percentage of young people than most places in the state…okay, lower than any other place in the state, but that certainly doesn’t mean that these old fogies don’t know how to get down. We’re kidding—only about the old part, since these people actually do know how to have a good time, especially when it comes to food. Case in point: the French toast at The House of William and Merry. Or there’s the pumpkin mushroom soup at the Back Burner, or, there’s the broasted chicken at Leslie’s Kitchen. The list just keeps going. Well, you get the idea. This place is delicious, plus, with the third most active life listings per capita, you won’t need to worry about how you’ll work off those calories.

9. Bear

Originally a sleepy area just south of Wilmington, filled mostly with farms and cattle land, Bear has come a long way from its more rural roots. These days, the area is more populated with young folks than cattle, with 25.84 percent of people being between 18 and 34. It has more bars than farms, and rather than wide open spaces, today Bear is the eighth most densely-populated place in the state.

10. Middletown

If you like food, if you like being active, if you like to go out at night, and if you happen to like the movie “Dead Poets Society”, this may just be the town for you. Middletown earned seventh, sixth, and seventh in each of these categories, respectively, and as far as the movie goes, almost all of it was filmed in Middletown’s St. Andrews School. Just a fun fact for ya. All of this awesome aside, Middletown is also home to several exciting events, like the Hummers Parade, the Big Ball Marathon, and the Olde Tyme Peach Festival—which, I promise, is much more exciting than it sounds.

Delaware: Where Size Has Nothing To Do With It

Delaware may be just about 300 times smaller than the state of Alaska, but it’s probably about 300 times more exciting, especially in the 10 places listed above (no offense, Alaska). If you’d like to see how each of the 20 places we looked at ranked, take a peek below. Most Exciting Places In Delaware
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