Living in Harrington, DE

Kent County

Harrington is a real Kent County city, genuinely distinct from Sussex County's beach-resort and mill-town markets this project's Delaware Tier B batch otherwise covers. Harrington's defining identity is agricultural, entertainment, and gaming tourism: the town hosts the annual Delaware State Fair (a real, significant ten-day event since 1920) at the Delaware State Fairgrounds, which also host Harrington Raceway & Casino -- a real, substantial "racino" with more than 1,800 slot machines and approximately 70 days of live harness racing per year. Harrington's population ran approximately 4,012 in a 2026 estimate, up a real, disclosed 6.19% since the 2020 Census. Harrington's median age carries a real, disclosed cross-source spread (32.2-37.0 years), with a senior (65+) share of approximately 18% -- only modestly above this project's national comparison figure and well below Sussex County's own real, retiree-driven beach corridor, directly supporting this record's best-areas (not retiring) topic choice. Housing runs genuinely more affordable than Delaware's statewide average, though this record discloses a real, substantial cross-source spread it does not resolve to one number. Harrington's crime data runs genuinely mixed -- favorable on overall and violent-crime figures, modestly less favorable on property crime -- a real, disclosed nuance this record credits honestly rather than citing only the flattering figures.

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Housing

Median sale price$316,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate0.46%

Not independently sourced at the Kent County level this session. Delaware's top state income tax rate is 6.60%. See the Delaware hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Harrington-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, genuinely distinct entertainment and agricultural-tourism identity (the Delaware State Fair, Harrington Raceway & Casino) unlike any other Delaware Tier B market this project has documented. Genuine housing affordability relative to Delaware's statewide average. Real, disclosed population growth (6.19% since the 2020 Census). Delaware's real, current, favorable statewide tax structure applies (no sales tax anywhere), and this record's own trusted property-tax anchor (Kent County's 0.46%) runs genuinely low. A real, favorable overall and violent-crime picture relative to national comparison figures.

Cons

A real, disclosed, genuinely mixed crime picture includes a modestly above-national property crime rate this record does not omit. Harrington has no local acute-care hospital of its own -- the nearest sits roughly 16 miles away in Dover. This pass did not surface a specific, sourced district-wide school-proficiency figure for Lake Forest School District, a real, disclosed research gap. Housing figures carry a real, substantial, disclosed cross-source spread this record does not resolve to one number.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits cost-conscious movers and families seeking genuine affordability relative to Delaware's statewide average, particularly those drawn to Harrington's real, distinct agricultural-tourism and gaming/entertainment identity (the Delaware State Fair, Harrington Raceway & Casino), and those comfortable with Kent County's genuinely more inland, agricultural setting relative to Sussex County's beach corridor.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers needing a confirmed local acute-care hospital rather than a roughly 16-mile drive to Dover, or those specifically prioritizing a confidently-sourced district-wide school-proficiency figure -- this record discloses a real, disclosed research gap on that specific data point. Those prioritizing a confidently favorable property-crime rate specifically should also weigh this record's disclosed, mixed crime data directly.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.