Daring Firsts: Dover, Del.

Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Area

Janice Chamberlain -- Casual Living, 7/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Dover, capital of The First State, earned its nickname after Delaware became the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution on Dec. 7, 1787.

Now, Dover remains a leading metro area which offers a variety of activities for its residents, including tax-free shopping, visiting the Sewell C. Biggs Museum of Modern Art, attending the Ballet Theatre of Dover, watching NASCAR events at the Dover International Speedway or listening to a performance of the Dover Symphony Orchestra.

If you live in Dover and shopping is your bent, there's a good chance you'll be seeking casual living products, according to New York-based Easy Analytic Software Inc. EASI projects spending on casual products will soar over the next few years.

Estimated spending on outdoor furniture in Dover is anticipated to be $1.5 million in 2010, a 28% increase over 2005, with grills gaining 26% to $1.9 million. Both categories exceed nationwide growth rate estimates of 23% and 21% growth, respectively.

EASI ranks Dover in the top 10% of more than 900 metro areas for its anticipated population growth between 2005 and 2010, projected at 9.2%. During the same time period, EASI projects the national population will increase by 4.9%. Dover citizens are expected to have the financial wherewithal to increase spending on casual products. EASI ranks Dover's 2005 median household income of $43,887 in the upper one-third of the nation's 934 metro areas.

Dover's household income balance also is expected to shift substantially over the next five years. In 2005, those with a median annual household income under $25,000 accounted for one-quarter of the area's population. That number is projected to decline to just 20% by 2010. Households with a median income of at least $75,000 are predicted by EASI to increase to 33% of Dover households, an 11 percentage point gain compared with 2005.

Dover

Spending
in millions

Housing Characteristics

Households By Race & Ethnicity

Household Income