Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) Area 9.8 km² Local time Friday 5:42 PM | Elevation 33 ft (10 m) ZIP code 19977 Population 10,960 (2013) Number of airports 1 | |
 | ||
Weather 14°C, Wind S at 27 km/h, 46% Humidity | ||
Smyrna is a town in Kent and New Castle counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the Census Bureau, as of 2010, the population of the town is 10,023.
Contents
Map of Smyrna, DE 19977, USA
The international jurist John Bassett Moore was born in Smyrna, as were politicians Louis McLane and James Williams.
History
Smyrna was originally called Duck Creek Cross Roads and received its current name in 1806 after the Ancient Greek seaport of Smyrna in present-day Turkey. The town was located along the north-south King's Highway. Smyrna was originally a shipping center along the Duck Creek and was the most important port between Wilmington and Lewes, shipping grain, lumber, tanbark, and produce to points north. After the shipping industry collapsed in the 1850s, the town would continue to be an agricultural center.
The Bannister Hall and Baynard House, Belmont Hall, David J. Cummins House, Timothy Cummins House, Duck Creek Village, George Farmhouse, Ivy Dale Farm, Mount Pleasant, Moore House, Peterson and Mustard's Hermitage Farm, Savin-Wilson House, Short's Landing Hotel Complex, Smyrna Historic District, John M. Voshell House, and Woodlawn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Smyrna is located at 39°17′59″N 75°36′17″W (39.2998339, -75.6046494).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), of which, 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (2.13%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,679 people, 2,114 households, and 1,462 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,541.9 people per square mile (595.8/km²). There were 2,242 housing units at an average density of 608.7 per square mile (235.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 72.88% White, 22.42% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.42% of the population.
There were 2,114 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town, the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,212, and the median income for a family was $42,355. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $22,135 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,443. About 7.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.