Local Wiki · State overview
Local Government in Delaware
How local government works in Delaware, the kinds of local government it has, and where to look for more. For your own county or city, browse Delaware’s Local Wiki pages below.
Delaware's three counties don't share one structure. Kent County uses the historic "Levy Court" — seven elected commissioners, six by district and one at-large, combining legislative and administrative power, one of the oldest forms of county government in the country. Sussex County has an elected County Council. New Castle County — the state's most populous — moved away from a Levy Court in 1967 to a directly elected County Executive plus a seven-member County Council, a genuine separation of legislative and executive power. A resident should identify which of the three counties they're in and check that county's own council or Levy Court and clerk for meetings and records.
Most states apply one government structure consistently across all their counties; Delaware's three counties instead each operate under a different model, ranging from a traditional fused legislative-executive board to a separately elected county executive.
Local government in Delaware
- County governments3
The main local government across most of the state.
Browse county pages - Cities, towns & villages57
Incorporated municipalities with their own elected council or board.
Browse city & town pages - School districts19
Independent school districts with their own elected boards. Listed on county pages where known.
- Special districts255
Single-purpose governments — fire, water, library, parks, housing, transit, and more.
Counts: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments — Government Units listing. A consolidated city-county is counted once.
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