Moving to Delaware: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Delaware means moving to Columbus's genuinely fast-growing northern exurb and the seat of Ohio's real, current richest county -- a real college-town identity anchored by Ohio Wesleyan University, alongside a genuine, disclosed gap between the county's headline wealth and the city's own more moderate income.
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Learn moreOhio's real richest and fastest-growing-by-decade county seat
Delaware County is genuinely Ohio's richest county (2024 average household income $166,030) and, per one source, carries Ohio's #1 fastest decade of population growth -- Delaware itself grew a real 17.29% since the 2020 Census.
Ohio Wesleyan University's real, growing college-town anchor
Ohio Wesleyan University (founded 1842) reported its largest total enrollment since 2015 for fall 2026 -- approximately 1,675 students, up 25% since 2021 -- genuinely anchoring Delaware's identity as a college town.
A real, honest city-vs-county income gap
The CITY of Delaware's own median household income ($99,031 in 2024) runs genuinely more moderate than Delaware COUNTY's exceptional, richest-in-Ohio wealth ($133,540 median) -- movers should not assume the county's headline affluence describes the city itself uniformly.
A real, physically local hospital
OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, serving Delaware since 1904, provides genuine, physically local acute-care access and employs approximately 620 people locally.
Key takeaways
- Delaware County is genuinely Ohio's richest county and, per one source, its fastest-growing by decade -- Delaware itself grew 17.29% since 2020.
- Ohio Wesleyan University's real, growing enrollment (largest since 2015 for fall 2026) genuinely anchors a college-town identity.
- The city of Delaware's own median income runs genuinely more moderate than the broader county's headline wealth -- a real, honest distinction.
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