Bright Delaware facts

Patrick Sweet and Dan Garrow of Delaware Online/News Journal have created and published four images depicting data readily available in the public domain that presents a brighter view than what many may think goes on in the First State.

We enjoyed viewing them and we hope you will too. We reproduce these images giving full credit to the News Journal/Delaware Online. The accompanying captions were written by our own staff.

1. Homeowning Rate - 2012 Numbers: Home ownership in Delaware at 72.7% is well above the national average of 65.5% and ahead of neighboring states: Pennsylvania (70.1%), Maryland (68%), Virginia (67.8%), New Jersey (66.2%) and New York (54.5%).

2. Job Growth Outlook for 2014: Although Delaware was not competitive against North Dakota, which at 3.57% growth is number 1 in the nation, and against Arizona (3.08%), Texas (2.75%), Colorado (2.67% and Florida (2.34%), at a proojected 1.69% job growth rate for 2014 it ranked better than similar projections for its regional neighbors: Maryland (1.55%), New Jersey (1.34%) and Pennsylvania (1.31%). Way2go Delaware!

3. Delaware's total gross domestic production in 2012 was $65.9 billion as compared to $35.7 billion in 1998 or a 54.1% growth in 14 years. Will it reach $100 billion in 2020? Now, 20/20 would be a perfect vision!

4. When will Delaware's population, which in 2010 was at 917,092, reach one million people? The World Population Statistics estimates that Delaware is projected to break the 1-million mark in 2025 with 1,032,000 residents. We, at the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, think it will be sooner and we wonder also when the states of Vermont and Wyoming, which in 2010 had 626,011 and 576,412 inhabitants, respectively, will reach the one-million mark.  Of those three states, which one do you think it will be the "first state" to reach that goal? Take a guess.

*  *  *

About The News Journal Media Group: http://static.delawareonline.com/aboutus/