Factories in Delaware
Delaware has 660 manufacturing establishments employing 31,080 people (Census County Business Patterns, 2023), 0.3% of US manufacturing jobs and the 43rd most of any state. The largest industries by employment are food, chemicals and fabricated metal products. We track 2 new plant projects here, 1 under construction.
- Establishments
- 660
- Census 2023
- Manufacturing jobs
- 31,080
- Census 2023
- In EPA records
- 265
- Active, ECHO
- New plants
- 2
- 1 building
- Sheet
- DE
- Revised
- November 11, 2026
What is made in Delaware
| Industry (NAICS subsector) | Establishments | Employees | In EPA records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food 311 | 81 | 10,556 | 23 |
| Chemicals 325 | 76 | 6,778 | 73 |
| Fabricated metal products 332 | 102 | 2,502 | 24 |
| Computers and electronics 334 | 48 | 1,945 | 13 |
| Plastics and rubber 326 | 35 | 1,667 | 21 |
| Medical devices and other goods 339 | 59 | 1,634 | 10 |
| Electrical equipment and appliances 335 | 23 | 839 | 7 |
| Machinery 333 | 36 | 819 | 18 |
| Petroleum and coal products 324 | 9 | 745 | 21 |
| Glass, cement and stone 327 | 32 | 697 | 18 |
| Vehicles, aircraft and parts 336 | 18 | 642 * | 7 |
| Furniture 337 | 20 | 582 | 3 |
| Printing 323 | 48 | 428 | 9 |
| Beverages and tobacco 312 | 29 | 375 | 3 |
| Paper 322 | 4 | 356 | 4 |
| Wood products 321 | 13 | 214 | 2 |
| Primary metals 331 | 4 | 173 | 4 |
| Textile products 314 | 12 | 80 | 0 |
| Textile mills 313 | 3 | 25 * | 5 |
| Apparel 315 | 6 | 16 | 0 |
Establishments and employees: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, mid-March employment. * Census flags this figure as having high noise. "In EPA records" counts active facilities in EPA's ECHO database, a subset that excludes plants EPA doesn't regulate.
New plants in Delaware
| Project | Industry | Status | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Biologics Center of ExcellenceMerck & Co., Inc., Wilmington | Pharmaceuticals | Under construction | $1.0B500 jobs |
| Dover hydrogen and heavy water production plantAternium, Dover | Chemicals | Announced | $380M50 jobs |
Factory pages in Delaware
6 Delaware factories have their own page so far: the facilities that report to EPA's Toxics Release Inventory and hold the most detailed federal records. See all 6, grouped by industry.
Questions
What is made in Delaware?
Delaware has 660 manufacturing establishments employing 31,080 people (Census County Business Patterns, 2023), 0.3% of US manufacturing jobs and the 43rd most of any state. The largest industries by employment are food, chemicals and fabricated metal products.
How many manufacturers are in Delaware?
660 manufacturing establishments (Census, 2023). EPA's ECHO database lists 265 active manufacturing facilities in Delaware that it regulates, 93 of which report to the Toxics Release Inventory.
Are new factories being built in Delaware?
We track 2 large plant projects in Delaware announced since 2021: 1 under construction, 1 announced, 0 operating.
Can you tour a factory in Delaware?
Yes: Dogfish Head Brewery Tours (Milton).