Portuguese Population in Delaware by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Portuguese population in Delaware totals 2,131, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Newark (101), followed by Wilmington (71) and Milford (61), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how Portuguese residents are distributed across Delaware''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Portuguese population in Delaware

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  • 1
    Newark
    Portuguese population in Newark is 101
    0.33% of Newark population is Portuguese
  • 2
    Wilmington
    Portuguese population in Wilmington is 71
    0.10% of Wilmington population is Portuguese
  • 3
    Milford
    Portuguese population in Milford is 61
    0.50% of Milford population is Portuguese
  • 4
    Ocean View
    Portuguese population in Ocean View is 60
    2.17% of Ocean View population is Portuguese
  • 5
    Millsboro
    Portuguese population in Millsboro is 43
    0.60% of Millsboro population is Portuguese

Overview of Portuguese population in Delaware

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Delaware contains 2,131 Portuguese residents (0.21% of 1.0 million total state population), positioning the state at the 20th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Portuguese population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Delaware's Portuguese demographic representation of 0.21% remains below the national average of 0.41%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Delaware contains 2,131 Portuguese residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Portuguese population of 1.4 million, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data indicates Delaware's density of 1.1 Portuguese Americans per square mile exceeds the national average of 0.38 per square mile by more than double, establishing the state as a significant concentration center for Portuguese demographic communities.
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37 Cities in Delaware Ranked by Portuguese Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Portuguese population in Delaware present in Newark, Wilmington, and Milford, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Delaware ranked by Portuguese population count
Rank by Portuguese Population
City
Portuguese Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Delaware Portuguese Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Newark 101 0.33% 4.74%
2 Wilmington 71 0.10% 3.33%
3 Milford 61 0.50% 2.86%
4 Ocean View 60 2.17% 2.82%
5 Millsboro 43 0.60% 2.02%
6 Selbyville 29 0.97% 1.36%
7 Harrington 23 0.60% 1.08%
8 17 0.49% 0.80%
9 15 0.04% 0.70%
10 14 0.53% 0.66%
11 13 0.54% 0.61%
12 12 0.80% 0.56%
13 9 0.49% 0.42%
13 9 0.22% 0.42%
14 8 0.23% 0.38%
15 7 0.09% 0.33%
16 5 0.28% 0.23%
17 2 0.15% 0.09%
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
18 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Delaware by their Portuguese population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Portuguese population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Portuguese ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Portuguese alone, while others identify as Portuguese along with another race (such as Portuguese and German).
  • We’ve used the “Portuguese alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Portuguese population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Portuguese alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Portuguese .
  2. % of Total Delaware Portuguese Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Portuguese population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Portuguese populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Portuguese population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Portuguese populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.