Hockessin, Delaware
Encyclopedia
Hockessin is a census-designated place
(CDP) in New Castle County
, Delaware
, United States
. The population was 12,902 at the 2000 census
. The place name may be derived from the Lenape
word "hòkèsa" meaning "pieces of bark" or from a misspelling of "occasion," as pronounced by the Quakers who settled the area originally.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 10 square miles (25.9 km²), of which, 10 square miles (25.9 km²) of it is land and 0.10% is water.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 12,902 people, 4,464 households, and 3,731 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,286.7 people per square mile (496.7/km²). There were 4,575 housing units at an average density of 456.3 per square mile (176.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.82% White, 2.65% African American, 0.07% Native American, 7.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races
, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 4,464 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.3% were married couples
living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $100,844, and the median income for a family was $108,784. Males had a median income of $76,617 versus $46,988 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $40,516. About 1.0% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.
operating in the area.
The first Roman Catholic church in Delaware was located in Hockessin. Missionary
priests from Maryland
established the Coffee Run Mission in 1790.
display in the evening in Swift Park.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in New Castle County
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 12,902 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The place name may be derived from the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
word "hòkèsa" meaning "pieces of bark" or from a misspelling of "occasion," as pronounced by the Quakers who settled the area originally.
Geography
Hockessin is located at 39°47′2"N 75°41′9"W (39.784014, -75.685864).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 10 square miles (25.9 km²), of which, 10 square miles (25.9 km²) of it is land and 0.10% is water.
Demographics
Hockessin is one of the fastest growing areas in Delaware. Since 1990, the population has tripled.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 12,902 people, 4,464 households, and 3,731 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,286.7 people per square mile (496.7/km²). There were 4,575 housing units at an average density of 456.3 per square mile (176.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.82% White, 2.65% African American, 0.07% Native American, 7.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 4,464 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $100,844, and the median income for a family was $108,784. Males had a median income of $76,617 versus $46,988 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $40,516. About 1.0% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.
Industry
Although Hockessin is primarily a bedroom community, there are several mushroom farmsFungiculture
Fungiculture is the process of producing food, medicine, and other products by the cultivation of mushrooms and other fungi.The word is also commonly used to refer to the practice of cultivating fungi by leafcutter ants, termites, ambrosia beetles, and marsh periwinkles.- Introduction :Mushrooms...
operating in the area.
Notable residents
- Cab CallowayCab CallowayCabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
, Jazz Singer and Bandleader - Chris Coons, United States Senator
- Matt Denn, Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
- Tony GraffaninoTony GraffaninoAnthony Joseph Graffanino is a former American Major League Baseball second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Though he never officially retired, Graffanino has not played since .-Career:...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Player - Bernard HopkinsBernard HopkinsBernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
, Professional Boxer - Kent A. JordanKent A. JordanKent Amos Jordan is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was previously a federal district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Delaware....
, Federal Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
History
Hockessin traces its roots to 1688.The first Roman Catholic church in Delaware was located in Hockessin. Missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
priests from Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
established the Coffee Run Mission in 1790.
Education
- CACC (Chinese American Community Center) Montessori School
- Henry B. Dupont Middle School
- Hockessin Montessori School
- North Star Elementary School
- Sanford SchoolSanford SchoolSanford School is a private, college preparatory, coeducational day school for students in junior kindergarten through grade twelve, located in Hockessin, Delaware. Originally known as "Sunny Hills School", it was founded on September 23, 1930 by Sanford and Ellen Sawin, in memory of their eldest...
- Wilmington Christian School
Annual events
Hockessin hosts several different Fourth of July activities for the area residents. Local groups parade down Old Lancaster Pike, neighborhoods compete in different athletic events, and there is a fireworksFireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
display in the evening in Swift Park.
Portrayal in the Media
- In Episode 210Episode 210The untitled tenth episode of the second season of the television series 30 Rock was first broadcast in the United States on January 10, 2008, on the NBC network. The episode was written by show runner Robert Carlock and Donald Glover, and was directed by Richard Shepard...
of 30 Rock30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, two characters agree to meet halfway between New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Washington, DC, which they claim to be the mining town of "Hockassin," PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In reality, Hockessin is almost exactly equidistant between the two cities, and shares a border with Pennsylvania.