CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		Common Stock [Member] Common Shares Class A Non-Voting [Member]		Common Stock [Member] Common Shares Class B Voting [Member]		Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Total
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018		$ 8,368		$ 882		$ 100,639	$ 43,362	$ 153,251
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018		8,368	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income		$ 0		$ 0		0	3,590	3,590
Cash dividends declared
Common stock		0		0		0	(2,241)	(2,241)
Issuance of common stock
Dividend reinvestment plan		$ 2		$ 0		85	0	87
Dividend reinvestment plan (in shares)		2	[1],[2],[3]	0	[4]
Employee stock options and awards	[3]	$ 14		$ 0		263	0	277
Employee stock options and awards (in shares)	[3]	14	[1],[2]	0	[4]
Employee Retirement Plan	[1]	$ 2		$ 0		76	0	78
Employee Retirement Plan (in shares)	[1]	2	[2],[3]	0	[4]
Balance at Mar. 31, 2019		$ 8,386		$ 882		101,063	44,711	155,042
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2019		8,386	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018		$ 8,368		$ 882		100,639	43,362	153,251
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018		8,368	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income								11,826
Balance at Sep. 30, 2019		$ 8,402		$ 882		101,552	46,067	156,903
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019		8,402	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Balance at Mar. 31, 2019		$ 8,386		$ 882		101,063	44,711	155,042
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2019		8,386	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income		$ 0		$ 0		0	3,778	3,778
Cash dividends declared
Common stock		0		0		0	(4,563)	(4,563)
Issuance of common stock
Dividend reinvestment plan		$ 3		$ 0		87	0	90
Dividend reinvestment plan (in shares)		3	[1],[2],[3]	0	[4]
Employee stock options and awards	[3]	$ 5		$ 0		38	0	43
Employee stock options and awards (in shares)	[3]	5	[1],[2]	0	[4]
Employee Retirement Plan	[1]	$ 3		$ 0		110	0	113
Employee Retirement Plan (in shares)	[1]	3	[2],[3]	0	[4]
Balance at Jun. 30, 2019		$ 8,397		$ 882		101,298	43,926	154,503
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019		8,397	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income		$ 0		$ 0		0	4,458	4,458
Cash dividends declared
Common stock		0		0		0	(2,317)	(2,317)
Issuance of common stock
Dividend reinvestment plan		$ 3		$ 0		115	0	118
Dividend reinvestment plan (in shares)		3	[1],[2],[3]	0	[4]
Employee stock options and awards	[3]	$ 0		$ 0		45	0	45
Employee stock options and awards (in shares)	[3]	0	[1],[2]	0	[4]
Employee Retirement Plan	[1]	$ 2		$ 0		94	0	96
Employee Retirement Plan (in shares)	[1]	2	[2],[3]	0	[4]
Balance at Sep. 30, 2019		$ 8,402		$ 882		101,552	46,067	156,903
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019		8,402	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019		$ 8,410		$ 882		101,811	49,165	160,268
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019		8,410	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income		$ 0		$ 0		0	4,074	4,074
Cash dividends declared
Common stock		0		0		0	(2,319)	(2,319)
Issuance of common stock
Dividend reinvestment plan		$ 3		$ 0		105	0	108
Dividend reinvestment plan (in shares)		3	[1],[2],[3]	0	[4]
Employee stock options and awards	[3]	$ 5		$ 0		129	0	134
Employee stock options and awards (in shares)	[3]	5	[1],[2]	0	[4]
Employee Retirement Plan	[1]	$ 2		$ 0		87	0	89
Employee Retirement Plan (in shares)	[1]	2	[2],[3]	0	[4]
Balance at Mar. 31, 2020		$ 8,420		$ 882		102,132	50,920	162,354
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020		8,420	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019		$ 8,410		$ 882		101,811	49,165	160,268
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019		8,410	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income								13,703
Balance at Sep. 30, 2020		$ 8,458		$ 882		103,022	53,492	165,854
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020		8,458	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Balance at Mar. 31, 2020		$ 8,420		$ 882		102,132	50,920	162,354
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020		8,420	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income		$ 0		$ 0		0	4,566	4,566
Cash dividends declared
Common stock		0		0		0	(4,655)	(4,655)
Issuance of common stock
Dividend reinvestment plan		$ 3		$ 0		87	0	90
Dividend reinvestment plan (in shares)		3	[1],[2],[3]	0	[4]
Employee stock options and awards	[3]	$ 24		$ 0		399	0	423
Employee stock options and awards (in shares)	[3]	24	[1],[2]	0	[4]
Employee Retirement Plan	[1]	$ 4		$ 0		128	0	132
Employee Retirement Plan (in shares)	[1]	4	[2],[3]	0	[4]
Balance at Jun. 30, 2020		$ 8,451		$ 882		102,746	50,831	162,910
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2020		8,451	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income		$ 0		$ 0		0	5,063	5,063
Cash dividends declared
Common stock		0		0		0	(2,402)	(2,402)
Issuance of common stock
Dividend reinvestment plan		$ 2		$ 0		88	0	90
Dividend reinvestment plan (in shares)		2	[1],[2],[3]	0	[4]
Employee stock options and awards	[3]	$ 1		$ 0		44	0	45
Employee stock options and awards (in shares)	[3]	1	[1],[2]	0	[4]
Employee Retirement Plan	[1]	$ 4		$ 0		144	0	148
Employee Retirement Plan (in shares)	[1]	4	[2],[3]	0	[4]
Balance at Sep. 30, 2020		$ 8,458		$ 882		$ 103,022	$ 53,492	$ 165,854
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020		8,458	[1],[2],[3]	882	[4]

[1] Artesian Resources Corporation registered 500,000 shares of Class A Common Stock available for purchase through the Artesian Retirement Plan and the Artesian Supplemental Retirement Plan.

[2] At September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, Class A Common Stock had 15,000,000 shares authorized.  For the same periods, shares issued, inclusive of treasury shares, were 8,487,604 and 8,432,220, respectively.

[3] Under the Equity Compensation Plan, effective December 9, 2015, or the 2015 Plan, Artesian Resources Corporation authorized up to 331,500 shares of Class A Common Stock for issuance of grants in the form of stock options, stock units, dividend equivalents and other stock-based awards, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances as discussed in the 2015 Plan. Includes stock compensation expense for September 30, 2020, and September 30, 2019, see Note 5-Stock Compensation Plans.

[4] At September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, Class B Common Stock had 1,040,000 shares authorized and 881,452 shares issued.