Sussex County, DE

County

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2023 Population

247,799

2.96% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/AChris Coons

Democratic Party

US Senator

N/ALisa Blunt Rochester

Democratic Party

US Representative

N/ASarah McBride

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

51.4

0.195% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

11.5%

1.06% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$78,162

3.65% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$353,300

8.91% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

106,378

2.42% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Sussex County, DE had a population of 248k people with a median age of 51.4 and a median household income of $78,162. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Sussex County, DE grew from 240,668 to 247,799, a 2.96% increase and its median household income grew from $75,406 to $78,162, a 3.65% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Sussex County, DE are White (Non-Hispanic) (72.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (10.2%), Other (Hispanic) (3.86%), Two+ (Hispanic) (3.85%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.79%).

None of the households in Sussex County, DE reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.4% of the residents in Sussex County, DE are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sussex County, DE are Delaware Learning Institute of Cosmetology (87 degrees awarded in 2022) and Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center (30 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Sussex County, DE was $353,300, and the homeownership rate was 81.3%.

Most people in Sussex County, DE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Sussex County, DE was 2 cars per household.

Sussex County, DE borders Kent County, DE, Caroline County, MD, Dorchester County, MD, Wicomico County, MD, Worcester County, MD, and Cape May County, NJ.

Photo by Lee Cannon

United States Delaware Salisbury, MD-DE

Population & Diversity

Sussex County, DE is home to a population of 248k people, from which 95.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 8.4% of Sussex County, DE residents were born outside of the country (20.8k people).

In 2023, there were 7.13 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (180k people) in Sussex County, DE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 25.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 9.57k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.4%

2023 Citizenship

96%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 95.4% of Sussex County, DE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Sussex County, DE was 96%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Sussex County, DE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sussex County, DE

White (Non-Hispanic)
180k ± 573
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
25.3k ± 672
Other (Hispanic)
9.57k ± 1.49k

11.2%

Hispanic Population

27.8k people

11.2% of the people in Sussex County, DE are hispanic (27.8k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Sussex County, DE as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Delaware.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
13,667 ± 2,850 people
India
10,737 ± 2,530 people
Guatemala
6,256 ± 1,936 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Delaware was Mexico, the natal country of 13,667 Delaware residents, followed by India with 10,737 and Guatemala with 6,256.

Foreign-Born Population

8.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

20.8k people

7.45%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

17.9k people

As of 2023, 8.4% of Sussex County, DE residents (20.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sussex County, DE was 7.45%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Sussex County, DE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
8,372 ± 686
Gulf War (2001-)
2,330 ± 362
Gulf War (1990s)
1,756 ± 339

Sussex County, DE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.59 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Sussex County, DE employs 106k people. The largest industries in Sussex County, DE are Health Care & Social Assistance (16,287 people), Retail Trade (12,750 people), and Construction (10,451 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($76,667), Finance & Insurance ($74,391), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($71,984).

Males in Delaware have an average income that is 1.23 times higher than the average income of females, which is $64,027. The income inequality in Delaware (measured using the Gini index) is 0.457, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

106k

2023 Value

± 2,591

2.42%

1 Year growth

± 3.37%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sussex County, DE grew at a rate of 2.42%, from 104k employees to 106k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sussex County, DE, are Management Occupations (11,945 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (11,521 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (10,794 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sussex County, DE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Delaware (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

106k

2023 Value

± 2,591

2.42%

1 Year growth

± 3.37%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sussex County, DE grew at a rate of 2.42%, from 104k employees to 106k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sussex County, DE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (16,287 people), Retail Trade (12,750 people), and Construction (10,451 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sussex County, DE, though some of these residents may live in Sussex County, DE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,383

Median earning men ± $1,582

$37,482

Median earning women ± $1,384

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($97,063), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($86,034), and Public Administration ($73,293).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($51,592), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,723), and Information ($49,954).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Y-Axis

N/A%

Year-over-year N/A

Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during N/A, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall N/A in employment by N/A%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

Establishments by Size

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Civics

Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester are the senators currently representing the state of Delaware. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Sussex County, DE is currently represented by Sarah McBride in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Delaware

N/AChris Coons

Senator from Delaware

Assumed office on November 15, 2010
Elected to the seat to succeed Ted Kaufman, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of Joe Biden, who had become Vice President of the United States.

N/ALisa Blunt Rochester

Senator from Delaware

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester are the senators currently representing Delaware.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Delaware over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Sussex County, DE

N/ASarah McBride

District at-large Representative

Democratic Party

Sussex County, DE is currently represented by Sarah McBride (Democratic Party).

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the member for Sussex County, DE have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Sussex County, DE awarded 117 degrees. The student population of Sussex County, DE in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 4 male students and 129 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sussex County, DE are White (76 and 65%), followed by Black or African American (17 and 14.5%), Hispanic or Latino (12 and 10.3%), and Two or More Races (11 and 9.4%).

The largest universities in Sussex County, DE by number of degrees awarded are Delaware Learning Institute of Cosmetology (87 and 74.4%) and Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center (30 and 25.6%).

The most popular majors in Sussex County, DE are Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (51 and 43.6%), Registered Nursing (30 and 25.6%), and General Cosmetology (20 and 17.1%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 133 students enrolled in Sussex County, DE, 3.01% men and 97% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 88 records, of which 97.7% were women and 2.27% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
30 degrees awarded
General Cosmetology
20 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Sussex County, DE was Registered Nursing with 30 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Sussex County, DE according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Delaware Learning Institute of Cosmetology
87 degrees awarded
Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center
30 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Delaware Learning Institute of Cosmetology with 87 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 6 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sussex County, DE, which is 0.0541 times less than the 111 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 76 degrees mean that there were 4.47 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 17 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, less-than 2-year ($6,400) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, less-than 2-year ($2,200) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Delaware.

Measure

In 2022, 0.491% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.598% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Delaware.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (239k), Some college (164k), and Bachelors Degree (147k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sussex County, DE was $353,300 in 2023, which is 1.16 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $324,400 to $353,300, a 8.91% increase. The homeownership rate in Sussex County, DE is 81.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Sussex County, DE have an average commute time of 27.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sussex County, DE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Sussex County, DE is $78,162. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Sussex County, DE was Census Tract 511.01 with a value of $155,288, followed by Census Tract 512.02 and Census Tract 511.03, with respective values of $136,964 and $116,875.

In 2023, 14.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sussex County, DE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.35%.

Housing

Property

$353,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$7,520

$83,879

Median Property Taxes

±$2,066

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Sussex County, DE the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Sussex County, DE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

81.3%

Homeownership

2023

69.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 81.3% of the housing units in Sussex County, DE were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 81.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sussex County, DE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 511.01
Census Tract 512.02
Census Tract 511.03

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Sussex County, DE was Census Tract 511.01 with a value of $155,288, followed by Census Tract 512.02 and Census Tract 511.03, with respective values of $136,964 and $116,875.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Sussex County, DE colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$78,162

Median Household Income

± $1,865

103k

Number of Households

± 2,447

In 2023, the median household income of the 103k households in Sussex County, DE grew to $78,162 from the previous year's value of $75,406.

The following chart displays the households in Sussex County, DE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sussex County, DE is from Delaware.

0.457

2022 Wage GINI in Delaware

0.465

2021 Wage GINI in Delaware

In 2022, the income inequality in Delaware was 0.457 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.73% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Delaware was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Delaware in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Delaware across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.8%)
Worked At Home (11.8%)
Carpooled (8.01%)

In 2023, 76.8% of workers in Sussex County, DE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.8%) and those who carpooled to work (8.01%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sussex County, DE have a longer commute time (27.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.35% of the workforce in Sussex County, DE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Sussex County, DE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Sussex County, DE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Sussex County, DE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 14.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sussex County, DE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.35%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

11.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sussex County, DE (28.1k out of 244k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sussex County, DE is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 18.9% of the children was living in poverty in Sussex County, DE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 9.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

93.1% of the population of Sussex County, DE has health coverage, with 36.5% on employee plans, 18.3% on Medicaid, 22.1% on Medicare, 15% on non-group plans, and 1.09% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sussex County, DE see 1690 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.412% decrease from the previous year (1697 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4500 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 460 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,690 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sussex County, DE

Primary care physicians in Sussex County, DE see an average of 1,690 patients per year. This represents a 0.412% decrease from the previous year (1,697 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Sussex County, DE in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.5% under 18 years, 14.6% between 18 and 34 years, 36.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 29.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.95%

Uninsured

36.5%

Employer Coverage

18.3%

Medicaid

22.1%

Medicare

15%

Non-Group

1.09%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sussex County, DE grew by 0.856% from 6.89% to 6.95%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Sussex County, DE changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 41.9 in Sussex County, DE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sussex County, DE.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.1% in Sussex County, DE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sussex County, DE.