Bordering states
Delaware vs Pennsylvania
Short answer
- DE
- 1,051,917
- PA
- 13,078,751
The two states, county by county
Both maps share one density scale, so the same shade means the same number of people per square mile on either side of the border. Darker counties are denser. Select a county to open its page.
Delaware
Pennsylvania
- < 52
- < 100
- < 206
- < 473
- ≥ 473
Residents, 2024
- 01Delaware1,051,917
- 02Pennsylvania13,078,751
Land, square miles
- 01Delaware1,949
- 02Pennsylvania44,742
People per square mile
- 01Delaware539.8
- 02Pennsylvania292.3
Median county household income
- 01Delaware$78,092
- 02Pennsylvania$62,918
Side by side
| Measure | Delaware | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Residents, 2024 | 1,051,917 | 13,078,751 |
| Rank by population | 45th | 5th |
| Land, sq mi | 1,949 | 44,742 |
| People per sq mi | 539.8 | 292.3 |
| County-equivalents | 3 | 67 |
| Median county residents | 271,134 | 82,953 |
| Median county income | $78,092 | $62,918 |
| Most populous county | New Castle County | Philadelphia County |
| Largest county by land | Sussex County | Lycoming County |
| Capital | Dover | Harrisburg |
| Daylight at capital, June 21 | 14 h 56 min | 15 h 03 min |
| Census division | South Atlantic | Middle Atlantic |
Population and density
Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 residents, 12.4 times Delaware's 1,051,917. Delaware ranks 45th and Pennsylvania 5th of the 50 states and DC. Delaware is the more crowded, with 539.8 people per square mile against 292.3, 85% more.
Land area
Pennsylvania has 44,742 square miles of land, 23.0 times Delaware's 1,949. The largest county-equivalent in Delaware is Sussex County at 936 square miles; in Pennsylvania it is Lycoming County at 1,229.
Counties
Pennsylvania is divided into 67 county-equivalents and Delaware into 3, so an average Pennsylvania county covers 668 square miles against 650. The typical county in Delaware has 271,134 residents, against 82,953 in Pennsylvania. The most populous are New Castle County (588,093) and Philadelphia County (1,573,916).
No county name appears in both states, so a county name alone is enough to tell which state a row belongs to.
Household income
The median county in Delaware has a household income of $78,092, 24% above Pennsylvania's $62,918. The highest county incomes are New Castle County ($86,798) in Delaware and Chester County ($120,925) in Pennsylvania, from SAIPE 2023.
Capitals and daylight
Dover and Harrisburg are 105 miles apart in a straight line; from Dover the initial bearing is 317°, NW. On June 21, 2026, Dover gets 14 h 56 min of daylight and Harrisburg 15 h 03 min; on December 21 the figures are 9 h 25 min and 9 h 18 min. Month by month tables are on the Dover and Harrisburg daylight pages.
Where they sit
The border between them is also a Census region boundary: Delaware is in the South and Pennsylvania in the Northeast. By county internal points, Delaware spans 1 UTM zone and Pennsylvania 2.
Questions people ask
Which is bigger, Delaware or Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania, with 44,742 square miles of land against 1,949, 22.96 times as large.
Which has more people, Delaware or Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 residents, 12.4 times Delaware's 1,051,917.
How far is Dover from Harrisburg?
105 miles in a straight line, heading NW (317°) from Dover.
Do Delaware and Pennsylvania have counties with the same name?
No. None of their county-level units share a name.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
- 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
- 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
- 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
- 04Census Bureau regions and divisions of the United States (last verified 2026-09-30)
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.