Delaware · GEOID 10005

Sussex County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 255,626 · 151,799 housing units

Median household income

$81,497

State $85,641

Median home value

$382,600

State $354,913

Median gross rent

$1,238

State $1,393

Homeownership rate

81.6%

State 73.0%

Renter cost-burden rate

53.5%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

20.1%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

1.3%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

6.6%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

29.9%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

4.69

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Sussex County	Delaware
Population	255,626	1,021,191
Population density (per sq. mi.)	273.06	—
Median household income	$81,497	$85,641
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$103,200	—
Households	106,441	—
Average household size	2.38 people	—
Owner-occupied	81.6%	73.0%
Renter-occupied	18.4%	27.0%
Race	74.1% White · 9.9% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Sussex County compared with Delaware.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

33.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 35.8%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	26.7%	$79,574	$1,989	$265,182
1 earner	31.4%	$78,305	$1,958	$260,458
2 earners	31.8%	$116,600	$2,915	$403,005
3+ earners	10.1%	$146,821	$3,671	$515,498

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

106,441

Average size: 2.38 people

Households with children

20,156

18.9% of households

Per-capita income

$46,684

Poverty rate: 10.4%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

81.6% owner-occupied vs. state average 73.0%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 75.3% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 8.7%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

23.6% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,999.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $382,600.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $1,238.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 45,358 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 2.6% · For rent 3.1% · Seasonal 84.3% · Other 7.8%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

7.9% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 92.1% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

25.2%

38,223 units of 151,799 total

⚑ Above the 10% threshold — meaningful pressure on year-round residents from second-home / short-term-rental demand.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

2.3%

3,559 units of 151,799 total

Census "Other vacant" — units off the market for reasons other than seasonal, migrant, sale, or rental.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$65,198

100% MHI$81,497

120% MHI$97,796

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Sussex County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$57,800	$66,050	$82,550
100% AMI	$72,240	$82,560	$103,200
120% AMI	$86,700	$99,050	$123,850

HUD FMR Area: Sussex County, DE. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

53.5% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (24.5% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

20.1% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Sussex County.

Covered employment

88,115

Across 17 sectors

Establishments

11,031

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$54,865

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 72 Accommodation and food services NAICS 72	14,617	$28,748	$75,990	−$306,610	$719
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	14,232	$69,534	$227,810	−$154,790	$1,738
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	13,446	$38,159	$111,021	−$271,579	$954
NAICS 31-33 Manufacturing NAICS 31-33	11,376	$57,255	$182,103	−$200,497	$1,431
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	6,275	$58,324	$186,082	−$196,518	$1,458
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	6,274	$64,467	$208,949	−$173,651	$1,612
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	5,961	$51,311	$159,977	−$222,623	$1,283
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	3,485	$98,728	$336,480	−$46,120	$2,468
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	3,038	$43,946	$132,562	−$250,038	$1,099
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	2,387	$96,432	$327,933	−$54,667	$2,411
NAICS 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation NAICS 71	2,124	$31,484	$86,175	−$296,425	$787
NAICS 42 Wholesale trade NAICS 42	1,881	$88,326	$297,760	−$84,840	$2,208
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	1,546	$62,590	$201,962	−$180,638	$1,565
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	615	$111,897	$385,499	+$2,899	$2,797
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	442	$65,137	$211,443	−$171,157	$1,628
NAICS 55 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 55	215	$127,969	$445,325	+$62,725	$3,199
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	201	$105,488	$361,643	−$20,957	$2,637

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 722 Food services and drinking places NAICS 722	13,194	$28,346	$74,494	−$308,106	$709
NAICS 311 Food manufacturing NAICS 311	8,298	$53,093	$166,611	−$215,989	$1,327
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	6,275	$58,324	$186,082	−$196,518	$1,458
NAICS 561 Administrative and support services NAICS 561	5,574	$49,424	$152,953	−$229,647	$1,236
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	4,181	$62,263	$200,745	−$181,855	$1,557
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	3,667	$83,040	$278,084	−$104,516	$2,076
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	3,485	$98,728	$336,480	−$46,120	$2,468
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	2,911	$28,485	$75,011	−$307,589	$712
NAICS 713 Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries NAICS 713	1,969	$29,854	$80,107	−$302,493	$746
NAICS 455 General merchandise retailers NAICS 455	1,768	$30,720	$83,331	−$299,269	$768
NAICS 458 Clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers NAICS 458	1,667	$24,894	$61,644	−$320,956	$622
NAICS 236 Construction of buildings NAICS 236	1,580	$73,494	$242,550	−$140,050	$1,837
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	1,484	$66,354	$215,973	−$166,627	$1,659
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	1,460	$42,928	$128,773	−$253,827	$1,073
NAICS 721 Accommodation NAICS 721	1,423	$32,478	$89,875	−$292,725	$812
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	1,326	$37,313	$107,872	−$274,728	$933
NAICS 423 Merchant wholesalers, durable goods NAICS 423	1,289	$83,650	$280,354	−$102,246	$2,091
NAICS 531 Real estate NAICS 531	1,194	$63,408	$205,007	−$177,593	$1,585
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	1,163	$81,934	$273,967	−$108,633	$2,048
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	1,060	$39,108	$114,554	−$268,046	$978
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	1,016	$35,586	$101,444	−$281,156	$890
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	1,008	$36,897	$106,324	−$276,276	$922
NAICS 524 Insurance carriers and related activities NAICS 524	1,000	$102,249	$349,586	−$33,014	$2,556
NAICS 449 Furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers NAICS 449	945	$56,073	$177,703	−$204,897	$1,402
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	924	$57,601	$183,391	−$199,209	$1,440
NAICS 325 Chemical manufacturing NAICS 325	681	$96,104	$326,712	−$55,888	$2,403
NAICS 237 Heavy and civil engineering construction NAICS 237	513	$54,628	$172,324	−$210,276	$1,366
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	504	$69,468	$227,564	−$155,036	$1,737
NAICS 424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods NAICS 424	449	$95,278	$323,638	−$58,962	$2,382
NAICS 332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing NAICS 332	444	$60,000	$192,321	−$190,279	$1,500
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	442	$65,137	$211,443	−$171,157	$1,628
NAICS 111 Crop production NAICS 111	407	$46,417	$141,760	−$240,840	$1,160
NAICS 562 Waste management and remediation services NAICS 562	387	$78,486	$261,132	−$121,468	$1,962
NAICS 339 Miscellaneous manufacturing NAICS 339	375	$64,602	$209,451	−$173,149	$1,615
NAICS 312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing NAICS 312	330	$48,496	$149,499	−$233,101	$1,212
NAICS 488 Support activities for transportation NAICS 488	289	$85,846	$288,528	−$94,072	$2,146
NAICS 336 Transportation equipment manufacturing NAICS 336	281	$75,269	$249,157	−$133,443	$1,882
NAICS 326 Plastics and rubber products manufacturing NAICS 326	235	$59,035	$188,729	−$193,871	$1,476
NAICS 321 Wood product manufacturing NAICS 321	230	$62,721	$202,449	−$180,151	$1,568
NAICS 112 Animal production and aquaculture NAICS 112	215	$56,158	$178,020	−$204,580	$1,404
NAICS 551 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 551	215	$127,969	$445,325	+$62,725	$3,199
NAICS 523 Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities NAICS 523	213	$147,939	$519,660	+$137,060	$3,698
NAICS 513 Publishing industries NAICS 513	203	$162,346	$573,287	+$190,687	$4,059
NAICS 517 Telecommunications NAICS 517	166	$95,069	$322,860	−$59,740	$2,377
NAICS 425 Wholesale trade agents and brokers NAICS 425	142	$109,417	$376,268	−$6,332	$2,735
NAICS 334 Computer and electronic product manufacturing NAICS 334	136	$66,273	$215,671	−$166,929	$1,657
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	119	$96,712	$328,975	−$53,625	$2,418
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	117	$35,247	$100,182	−$282,418	$881
NAICS 323 Printing and related support activities NAICS 323	81	$52,074	$162,818	−$219,782	$1,302
NAICS 518 Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services NAICS 518	70	$188,351	$670,087	+$287,487	$4,709
NAICS 335 Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing NAICS 335	64	$42,337	$126,573	−$256,027	$1,058
NAICS 493 Warehousing and storage NAICS 493	62	$59,786	$191,524	−$191,076	$1,495
NAICS 814 Private households NAICS 814	46	$35,613	$101,544	−$281,056	$890
NAICS 337 Furniture and related product manufacturing NAICS 337	41	$56,217	$178,239	−$204,361	$1,405
NAICS 512 Motion picture and sound recording industries NAICS 512	37	$44,847	$135,916	−$246,684	$1,121
NAICS 923 Administration of human resource programs NAICS 923	28	$128,854	$448,619	+$66,019	$3,221
NAICS 516 Broadcasting and content providers NAICS 516	23	$48,312	$148,814	−$233,786	$1,208
NAICS 333 Machinery manufacturing NAICS 333	22	$54,207	$170,757	−$211,843	$1,355
NAICS 928 National security and international affairs NAICS 928	20	$87,037	$292,962	−$89,638	$2,176
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	15	$153,239	$539,388	+$156,788	$3,831
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	10	$94,848	$322,037	−$60,563	$2,371
NAICS 525 Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles NAICS 525	10	$113,460	$391,317	+$8,717	$2,837

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	2,860	—	—	$16.07	$33,420	$93,381	$836
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023	3,350	—	—	$16.18	$33,660	$94,274	$842
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	120	—	—	$16.29	$33,870	$95,056	$847
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	3,890	—	—	$17.72	$36,860	$106,186	$922
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	1,890	—	—	$18.30	$38,060	$110,653	$952
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131	1,360	—	—	$20.12	$41,850	$124,760	$1,046
Tellers SOC 43-3071	240	—	—	$20.14	$41,890	$124,909	$1,047
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	2,890	—	—	$20.22	$42,050	$125,505	$1,051
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	860	—	—	$21.36	$44,430	$134,364	$1,111
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	1,370	—	—	$21.40	$44,500	$134,625	$1,113
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	140	—	—	$23.67	$49,240	$152,268	$1,231
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	810	—	—	$24.16	$50,260	$156,065	$1,257
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	1,070	—	—	$25.97	$54,010	$170,024	$1,350
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	460	—	—	$27.03	$56,220	$178,250	$1,406
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	340	—	—	$28.09	$58,420	$186,440	$1,461
Electricians SOC 47-2111	400	—	—	$29.21	$60,750	$195,113	$1,519
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	400	—	—	—	$71,960	$236,840	$1,799
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	370	—	—	$41.79	$86,910	$292,489	$2,173
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	2,490	—	—	$46.79	$97,320	$331,239	$2,433

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 10005 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.