Kent County, DE
Get paid to care for your family member in Kent County, Delaware
About 36,900 people in Kent County are 65 or older — 19% of everyone who lives here. Kent County skews younger than Delaware overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 3,380 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Kent County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Kent
- People 65 and older
- 36,900
- People 85 and older
- 3,380
- Median age
- 38.8
- Rank in Delaware
- 3rd
19% of Kent residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 3 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Kent County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Delaware as a whole is 22% aged 65 or older.
What Delaware pays family caregivers
$13–$21/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Delaware Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Delaware's programs at a glance
- DSHP-Plus self-directed care
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Delaware guide →
Towns and cities in Kent County
Delaware sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Dover and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Kent County:
- Dover40,191
- Smyrna13,293
- Milford6,034
- Clayton4,511
- Camden4,191
- Harrington3,934
- Cheswold2,537
- Wyoming1,871
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Kent apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Kent County start with Delaware's program:
Call the DMMA Central Intake Unit at 866-940-8963 to request an application; eligibility determination (financial + nursing-facility level of care) can take up to 3 months.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Delaware program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Kent questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Kent County?
Yes. Delaware runs real Medicaid programs — like DSHP-Plus self-directed care — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Kent County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Kent County?
Reported figures in Delaware are around $13–$21/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Kent County apply?
Families in Kent County start with the state, not the county. Call the DMMA Central Intake Unit at 866-940-8963 to request an application; eligibility determination (financial + nursing-facility level of care) can take up to 3 months.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Kent County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Delaware: yes — spouses and other relatives can be hired under DSHP-Plus self-directed attendant care (the separate state-funded Personal Attendant Services program excludes spouses)
How many people in Kent County might need this?
36,900 residents of Kent County are 65 or older and about 3,380 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Delaware's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Kent do you cover?
All of Kent County — including Dover, Smyrna, Milford, Clayton and Camden. Eligibility is set by Delaware, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Delaware's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Delaware counties
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