Where Townsend is
Townsend is a town in New Castle County, Delaware. It covers about one square mile and had 2,717 residents at the 2020 census.
History
Townsend was incorporated as a town on April 3, 1885, and is named for businessman Samuel John Townsend. The Delaware Railroad arrived in 1856. A peach industry helped the town grow until disease devastated orchards across the Delmarva Peninsula in the late 19th century. The Townsend Historic District, with 216 buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Good to know
The center of population of Delaware is located in Townsend.
Getting around
Delaware Route 71 runs northwest-southeast through the eastern part of town, and Main Street is the principal east-west road. Townsend sits at a junction of two railroad lines.
The housing market
In Q4 2025, the most recent period in the closed-sale data Foraker uses, the median sale price in Townsend was $453,950 and the average sale price was $462,124, across 6 closed sales. These figures come from Bright MLS closed-sale data. They describe homes that sold in that period, not homes for sale today.
Schools
Townsend is within the Appoquinimink School District. Buyers can look up the district and its schools directly before choosing a home.
Talk to us about buying or selling in Townsend
If you are thinking about buying or selling here, the Foraker team would be glad to talk it through. You can browse Foraker's current listings at forakerrealty.com.
Sources
This guide is compiled from the public sources below and from Foraker's market data. Details such as events and routes change, so check before you go.