Sussex County, Delaware Housing Market Prices
Sussex County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 42% above the Delaware median Most expensive county in Delaware$345,990
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Median rent 12% below the Delaware median Cheapest county in Delaware$1,237
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $345,990 | $243,076 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 5.3% | 4.0% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,237 | $1,401 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.1% | 3.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Sussex County is about 42% higher than in Delaware. Rent is about 12% lower than the Delaware average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Sussex County, up about 5.3% and 3.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Sussex County rose about 27.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $973 to $1,237. Over the same span, rent in Delaware rose about 37.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.2 yearly household incomes in Sussex County.
Buying the median-priced home in Sussex County costs roughly 23.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Sussex County. The price-to-rent ratio in Delaware is about 14.5.
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $345,990 | $243,076 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $81,820 | $85,760 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.2 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Sussex County rose about 47.7%, while median household income rose about 54.5% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 57.0% | 63.2% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 12.9% | 23.5% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 30.0% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
Sussex County has a homeownership rate of 57.0%, lower than the Delaware average of 63.2%. Its housing vacancy rate is 30.0%, compared with 13.4% in Delaware.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.37 people | 2.48 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1996 | 1983 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.1 | 6.2 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Sussex County was built around 1996. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 6.1 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Sussex County, DE Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Sussex County, DE is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 252,121 residents against a local median of 94,930. Nothing separates Sussex County, DE sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is homeownership, 12% above the local median at 81.5% against 72.5%. Sussex County, DE has the highest homeownership of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County, DE | 252,121 | $345,990 #4/6 | $1,237 #4/6 | 81.5% #1/6 |
| Wicomico County, MD | 104,905 | $176,769 | $1,326 | 62.3% |
| Kent County, DE | 187,603 | $239,515 | $1,354 | 72.5% |
| Worcester County, MD | 53,701 | $411,303 | $1,158 | 78.0% |
| Caroline County, MD | 33,666 | $357,432 | $1,104 | 71.9% |
| Cape May County, NJ | 94,930 | $376,270 | $1,360 | 80.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Sussex County, Delaware.
What is the median home price in Sussex County, Delaware?
The median home price in Sussex County, Delaware is $345,990, higher than the Delaware average of $243,076.
What is the average home price in Sussex County, Delaware?
The typical home price in Sussex County, Delaware, reported as the median sale price, is $345,990. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Sussex County, Delaware?
The median gross rent in Sussex County, Delaware is $1,237 per month, lower than the Delaware average of $1,401.
What was the median gross rent in Sussex County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Sussex County, Delaware was $1,049 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Sussex County, Delaware?
The price-to-rent ratio in Sussex County, Delaware is about 23.3, meaning it would take roughly 23.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Sussex County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Sussex County, Delaware?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Sussex County, up about 5.3% and 3.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Sussex County, Delaware?
57.0% of households in Sussex County, Delaware own their home, lower than the Delaware average of 63.2%.
What is the vacancy rate in Sussex County, Delaware?
The housing vacancy rate in Sussex County, Delaware is 30.0%, higher than the Delaware average of 13.4%.
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