Felton, Delaware


Felton is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover metropolitan statistical area. The population was 1,316 in 2020.

History

Established in 1856 as a whistle stop along the Delaware Railroad, Felton was named after Samuel M. Felton Sr., then-president of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. As president, he was responsible for developing the Railroad in Delaware's rural areas, and by extension, the town's existence. Felton was incorporated on February 2, 1861, and passenger rail service would continue to the town until the early 1950s.
The Coombe Historic District, Thomas B. Coursey House, Felton Historic District, Felton Railroad Station, and Hughes Early Man Sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Felton is located at .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, all land.

Demographics

According to the 2020 United States census the population was 1,316 people living in 545 households. There were 586 housing units with 41 being vacant. The racial makeup of the town was 62.7% White, 24.9% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 3.3% Other and 7.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.6%.
Of the 545 households, 42% were a married couple household, 7.3% were cohabiting couples, 15.6% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present and 35% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 34.5% of households had an individual under the age of 18 and 34.7% had an individual aged 65 or over.
The age distribution was 5.5% under 5 years old, 7.3% were 5 to 9, 6.2% aged 10 to 14, 6.3% aged 15 to 19, 5.2% aged 20 to 24, 6.8% aged 25 to 29, 7.3% aged 30 to 34, 6.2% aged 35 to 39, 5.5% aged 40 to 44, 6% aged 45 to 49, 5.5% aged 50 to 54, 7.5% aged 55 to 59, 6% aged 60 to 64, 6.7% aged 65 to 69, 5.6% aged 70 to 74, 3.1% aged 75 to 79, 2% aged 80 to 84 and 1% 85 years or older.
The male population was 602 and the female population was 714. The median age for both sexes was 39.5. The median age for males was 38 and for females 41.2.
By 2023, the American Community Survey estimated the median income was $62,000. It estimated median income by types of families as Married-couple families $100,938, Families $98,056 and Non-family households as $40,565. Poverty was estimated at 7.4% compared to 9.6% for the rest of Delaware. 10.3% of those projected to be in poverty were under 18 years old, 7% between 18 and 64 years and 6.3% were 65 years and over.

Education

Public school students in Felton are served by the Lake Forest School District. Schools include Lake Forest High School as well as Lake Forest North, the elementary school, and Lake Forest Central, the older elementary school. Other schools in the district are located in Harrington and Frederica.

Infrastructure

Transportation

runs north–south through Felton on Dupont Highway, heading north toward Dover and south toward Harrington. Delaware Route 12 runs east–west through Felton on Main Street, heading west toward Greensboro, Maryland and east toward Frederica. DART First State provides bus service to Felton along Route 117, which heads north toward Camden to connect to the local bus routes serving the Dover area and south toward Harrington. The Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line passes north–south through Felton.

Utilities

, a subsidiary of Exelon, provides electricity to Felton. Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas to the town. The Felton Water Department provides water to Felton, serving 550 homes, multiple businesses, and three schools. Trash and recycling collection in Felton is provided under contract by Waste Management.

Notable people

  • M. Evelyn Killen, President, Felton W.C.T.U.; President, Delaware State W.C.T.U.
  • James H. Hughes, American lawyer and U.S senator
  • C. J. Faison, American stock car racing driver