Sussex County, DE

County

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2024 Population

255,626

US Senator

Chris Coons

Democratic Party

US Senator

Lisa Blunt Rochester

Democratic Party

US Representative

Sarah McBride

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

51.9

0.973% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.9%

5.47% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$81,497

4.27% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$382,600

8.29% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

109,761

3.18% 1-year growth

About

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.

95.5% of the residents in Sussex County, DE are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sussex County, DE are Delaware Learning Institute of Cosmetology (97 degrees awarded in 2023) and Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center (24 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Sussex County, DE was $382,600, and the homeownership rate was 81.6%.

Most people in Sussex County, DE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.3 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

Population & Diversity

Sussex County, DE is home to a population of 256k people, from which 95.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.33% of Sussex County, DE residents were born outside of the country (21.3k people).

In 2024, there were 7.39 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (185k people) in Sussex County, DE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 25k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 11.3k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.5%

2024 Citizenship

95.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.5% of Sussex County, DE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sussex County, DE was 95.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
185k ± 700
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
25k ± 910
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
11.3k ± 1.53k

11.5%

Hispanic Population

29.4k people

11.5% of the people in Sussex County, DE are hispanic (29.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 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
15,383 ± 3,022 people
India
11,725 ± 2,643 people
Guatemala
6,344 ± 1,949 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Delaware was Mexico, the natal country of 15,383 Delaware residents, followed by India with 11,725 and Guatemala with 6,344.

Foreign-Born Population

8.33%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

21.3k people

8.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

20.8k people

As of 2024, 8.33% of Sussex County, DE residents (21.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sussex County, DE was 8.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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
8,122 ± 690
Gulf War (2001-)
2,803 ± 424
Gulf War (1990s)
1,660 ± 306

Sussex County, DE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.9 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Sussex County, DE.

Economy

The economy of Sussex County, DE employs 110k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sussex County, DE were Health Care & Social Assistance (15,962 people), Retail Trade (12,586 people), and Construction (11,112 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($85,867), Finance & Insurance ($80,009), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($78,750).

Employment

Occupations

110k

2024 Value

± 2,667

3.18%

1 Year growth

± 3.33%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sussex County, DE grew at a rate of 3.18%, from 106k employees to 110k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sussex County, DE, are Management Occupations (12,582 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (11,574 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (10,955 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 Delaware.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

110k

2024 Value

± 2,667

3.18%

1 Year growth

± 3.33%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sussex County, DE grew at a rate of 3.18%, from 106k employees to 110k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sussex County, DE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (15,962 people), Retail Trade (12,586 people), and Construction (11,112 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

$49,346

Median earning men ± $1,248

$39,605

Median earning women ± $1,604

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,621), Public Administration ($74,332), and Information ($71,278).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($54,592), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,384), and Wholesale Trade ($52,297).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.43%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 472k people employed in Delaware. This represents a 2.43% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.1%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Delaware.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

487
Construction
461
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
461
Retail Trade

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$809k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$504k
Manufacturing
$456k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Delaware went to Kamala Harris with 56.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41.8%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.904%).

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.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Sussex County, DE. Showing the available data for Delaware.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (56.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (41.8%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (0.904%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Delaware went to Kamala Harris with 56.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41.8%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.904%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Delaware for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Delaware

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Delaware.

Chris 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.

Lisa 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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Sussex County, DE

Sarah 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 2023, universities in Sussex County, DE awarded 121 degrees. The student population of Sussex County, DE in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 6 male students and 110 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sussex County, DE are White (69 and 57%), Black or African American (24 and 19.8%), Hispanic or Latino (16 and 13.2%), and Two or More Races (10 and 8.26%).

The largest universities in Sussex County, DE by number of degrees awarded are Delaware Learning Institute of Cosmetology (97 and 80.2%) and Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center (24 and 19.8%).

The most popular majors in Sussex County, DE are Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (60 and 49.6%), General Cosmetology (26 and 21.5%), and Registered Nursing (24 and 19.8%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 116 students enrolled in Sussex County, DE, 5.17% men and 94.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 81 records, of which 95.1% were women and 4.94% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
60 degrees awarded
Nail Specialist & Manicurist
11 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Sussex County, DE was Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist with 60 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Sussex County, DE according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

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

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Delaware Learning Institute of Cosmetology with 97 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 3 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sussex County, DE, which is 0.0254 times less than the 118 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 69 degrees mean that there were 2.88 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 24 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 2023.

Private not-for-profit, less-than 2-year ($2,200) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sussex County, DE was $382,600 in 2024, which is 1.15 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $353,300 to $382,600, a 8.29% increase. The homeownership rate in Sussex County, DE is 81.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sussex County, DE have an average commute time of 27.3 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.

In 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sussex County, DE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2%.

Housing

Property

$382,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,986

$86,851

Median Property Taxes

±$2,157

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 - $1,499 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

81.6%

Homeownership

2024

69.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 81.6% of the housing units in Sussex County, DE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 81.3%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$81,497

Median Household Income

± $1,512

106k

Number of Households

± 2,444

In 2024, the median household income of the 106k households in Sussex County, DE grew to $81,497 from the previous year's value of $78,162.

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.

0.456

2023 Wage GINI in Delaware

0.457

2022 Wage GINI in Delaware

In 2023, the income inequality in Delaware was 0.456 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.24% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Delaware was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 2024

Drove Alone (75.4%)
Worked At Home (13.4%)
Carpooled (8.03%)

In 2024, 75.4% of workers in Sussex County, DE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.4%) and those who carpooled to work (8.03%).

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

27.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sussex County, DE have a longer commute time (27.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.19% 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 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sussex County, DE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

10.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sussex County, DE (27.4k out of 252k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 6 - 11.

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 2025, 17.1% of the children was living in poverty in Sussex County, DE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 11.3%.

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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 406 in Sussex County, DE. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 127 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93% of the population of Sussex County, DE has health coverage, with 36.2% on employee plans, 17.6% on Medicaid, 22.7% on Medicare, 15.3% on non-group plans, and 1.12% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sussex County, DE see 1,628 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,628 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4490 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 433 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,628 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sussex County, DE

Primary care physicians in Sussex County, DE see an average of 1,628 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,628 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 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.2% under 18 years, 14.6% between 18 and 34 years, 36.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 30.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.03%

Uninsured

36.2%

Employer Coverage

17.6%

Medicaid

22.7%

Medicare

15.3%

Non-Group

1.12%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sussex County, DE grew by 1.21% from 6.95% to 7.03%.

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 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 48 in Sussex County, DE.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 38.6% in Sussex County, DE.

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