Sussex County, Delaware Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sussex County, DE Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 252,121 | 1,017,061 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 210.9 | 409.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.42% | 1.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.9 | 42.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 104,901 | 400,257 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sussex County grew by 36.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 252,121 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sussex County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 27.7% of residents. That is 8.3 points above Delaware as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 40,919 16.2% -3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 42,073 16.7% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 51,112 20.3% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 69,792 27.7% +8.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Delaware, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.4% of the people living in Sussex County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Delaware 51.5%
- Men 48.6% Delaware 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Sussex County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Sussex County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,820 | $85,760 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.19% | 4.34% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sussex County is about 5% lower than in Delaware.
Housing
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $345,990 | $243,076 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,237 | $1,401 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.5% | 72.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sussex County is about 23.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,237 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sussex County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 190 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.8 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.7 | 44.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 190 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,902 | $5,703 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.4% | 15.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,094 | 11,244 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,029 | 1,341 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Delaware:
Kent County (21.6 min), New Castle County (21.9 min), Sussex County (22.8 min).
Slowest:
Sussex County (22.8 min), New Castle County (21.9 min), Kent County (21.6 min).
The average commute time in Sussex County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Delaware.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Sussex County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.9% | 31.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Delaware:
New Castle County (0.3), Sussex County (0.3), Kent County (0.2).
Lowest:
Kent County (0.2), Sussex County (0.3), New Castle County (0.3).
Health
Sussex County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Sussex County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 77.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 14.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.6% | 17.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Delaware:
New Castle County (0.8), Sussex County (0.8), Kent County (0.8).
Lowest:
Kent County (0.8), Sussex County (0.8), New Castle County (0.8).
Sussex County, DE 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. Where Sussex County, DE breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 20% above the local median of 19.0 min at 22.8 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 13.5 min on commute, so Sussex County, DE sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Sussex County, DE has the 5th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County, DE | 252,121 | $81,820 #3/6 | $345,990 #4/6 | 22.8 min #5/6 |
| Wicomico County, MD | 104,905 | $76,195 | $176,769 | 18.1 min |
| Kent County, DE | 187,603 | $74,532 | $239,515 | 21.6 min |
| Worcester County, MD | 53,701 | $83,661 | $411,303 | 19.0 min |
| Caroline County, MD | 33,666 | $69,099 | $357,432 | 31.6 min |
| Cape May County, NJ | 94,930 | $91,655 | $376,270 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sussex County, Delaware.
How many people live in Sussex County, Delaware?
About 252,121 people live in Sussex County, Delaware, in 104,901 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 52.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
Is Sussex County, Delaware mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sussex County, Delaware has 211 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Sussex County, Delaware?
The median home costs 4.2 times the median household income ($345,990 against $81,820), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,237 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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