Population: 72,826 (2006 estimate)
Percentage of retirees: 13.4% in 2006
Cost of living index: Below average
Public libraries: 7
Public transportation: The DART bus system has regular routes in and around the city. DART also operates a trolley that takes passengers on a 10-minute trip from downtown to the Amtrak Station, to the Riverfront.
Access to airports: Philadelphia International Airport is about 20 minutes away.
Tax breaks: In Delaware, taxpayers under 60 may deduct pension amounts of up to $2,000 and those 60 or over, up to $12,500. Eligible amounts for taxpayers 60 or over include retirement income (dividends, capital gains realization, interest and rental income).
Number of museums: 21
Number of cinemas: 5
Cultural Highlights: Rich in museums and nearby historic estates and gardens.
Access to Healthcare: Fair, with several private hospitals; world class research hospitals in nearby Baltimore and Philadelphia
Climate: Moderate winters, hot humid summers.
Annual precipitation: 42.4 inches
Number of sunny days a year: 201
Useful links: Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau
Nearby Attractions: Brandywine Valley, Historic Newcastle, Delaware, both on the outskirts of town; Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pennsylvania Amish Country, and Atlantic beaches about an hour's drive away; Washington, D. C., and New York about two hours.
In the Know: "Wilmington is a great place to retire because of the beautiful Brandywine Valley, wonderful cultural opportunities, great Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey Beaches, and proximity to major cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and New York. Thankfully, we have access to all the cultural amenities of major cities without sales tax or higher crime rates."
-Renay A. Mercer Gore, Community Programs Manager, Delaware Art Museum
This small city was always perfectly situated in the center of the Eastern megalopolis and right at the edge of the stunning Brandywine Valley. But beyond its stellar location and the respected Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington didn't offer a lot. The downtown was far from vibrant, and in places pretty rough. All that has changed within a few short years, and the decrepit warehouses, factories and mills along the Christiana River have been revitalized into an impressive array of condominiums, shops and restaurants, connected by a riverwalk. At its east end rises a historic train station, where frequent Amtrak trains stop on their way to and from Washington and New York.
North of the riverfront, in the center of downtown, the historic Dupont Hotel houses its own theater, and nearby stand the Delaware Symphony and Opera House, home to its own companies, and the Grand Opera House, with a calendar of pop and classical performers. Wilmington also likes its festivals, from the annual Italian and Greek festivals to the Delaware Shakespeare Festival to the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, one of the oldest in the East.
At the western edge of downtown, Route 52 heads through gracious but affordable old neighborhoods and into the fabled valley of the du Ponts-the Brandywine. The legacy they left behind in these rolling green hills includes the famed Longwood Gardens, the Winterthur Museum (the acknowledged premiere museum of American decorative arts), the Nemours Mansion and Gardens and the Hagley Museum, where the du Pont empire began with a gunpowder mill on the banks of Brandywine Creek. The valley also claims the famous Wyeth clan, three generations of artists whose works are always on display at the Brandywine Valley Museum, a restored gristmill as elegant in its own way as the opulence of the du Pont estates.
I am a Baby Boomer who 2 years ago chose to live in Chester County Pennsylvania-- just 10 miles north of Wilmington. I could live anywhere, but chose this area because it seemed to best combine a certain gentility with down-to-earth social values. It is also a wonderful place for cultural and leisure activity. I've enjoyed taking painting classes at nearby museums and art centers. It is possible to see Broadway plays in Wilmington at a greatly reduced price (when compared to NYC). Memberships at Winterthur and Longwood Gardens enable me to take limitless garden walks and to take part in instructional programs. Friends love to visit me for country weekends. There are historic tours, a mushroom festival, varied art shows and a variety of very fine restaurants. The nearby, undulating countryside has horse farms, old stone houses, quiet hamlets, farm stands. The residents of the area share concerns about land conservation. While charmed by the "country quiet," I have never experienced a dull day since I arrived here.
Posted by Jean Ager on April 27,2008 | 12:00AM
Wilmington is a charming small city with a big city skyline that features many of the largest corporations headquartered in the downtown business district. Downtown is surrounded by 19th century working class town-houses leading out along the route 52 corridor to wealthy estates dating beyond the 18th century. Wilmington is a cultural mix of large Catholic neighborhoods bound by old stone churches and European descendent ethnic communities, like Browntown(Polish), Forty Acres(Irish), and a vibrant area on the west side dubbed Little Italy. Many museums and a large twenty something weekend nightlife balance out a city that almost literally rolls up its sidewalks after 5:30pm on weeknights. A wonderful place to visit and "be somebody" for those who decide to make it their home.
Posted by Jim Kelley on June 6,2008 | 10:05AM
Why dont we have a train station in kent county, the Dover area.I know there use to be a station in Dover. There is alot of people moving to southern Delaware and it would be much easier to travel if there was a station going through Delaware
Posted by Darice Hall on July 9,2008 | 10:49AM
I am a kindergarten teacher with the thought of retiring at the end of this school year. As much as I like New York, I am ready for a change. I love Washington D.C. but I also know there is a huge crime rate there and where I might want to live, it might be quite expensive. I was thinking Wilmington, Delaware would be a nice place to retire to. I would like to continue working, perhaps even teaching there. Can you please let me know if there are teaching jobs available, and how close to Washington D.C. is Wilmington, or for that matter, Delaware in general?
Posted by Noree Clarke on August 24,2008 | 04:29PM