Sussex County, Delaware
Located in Delaware, Sussex County has a population of 255,626 residents and a median age of 51.9 years, making it the #282 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.9%. The median home value is $382,600, and the median household income is $81,497, which is 8% above the national median.
Demographics
Sussex County has a population of 255,626, making it the #282 most populous county in the US. The median age is 51.9 years, which is 33.4% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Sussex County is $81,497, ranking #524 out of 3,222 counties — 8.4% above the national median. The poverty rate is 10.9% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Sussex County is $382,600 (+35.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,238/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Sussex County, 33.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.1% below the national average, ranking #573 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Sussex County is 77.1 years. 15.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.5% of adults in Sussex County smoke , 38.6% are obese , and 19.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 47.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Sussex County is 3.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.1% of children in Sussex County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Sussex County is 72.2%. The mean commute time is 29.4 min, which is 6.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Sussex County voted Republican with a margin of 11.0%. The vote was 43.9% Dem / 54.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.3 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County, Delaware has a total population of 255,626, making it the 282nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sussex County is 51.9 years, which is 33.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Sussex County is $81,497, which ranks #524 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.4% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.
The median home value in Sussex County is $382,600, 35.7% above the national median. Renters in Sussex County pay a median gross rent of $1,238 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Sussex County, 33.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.4 min.
Sussex County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 72.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (9.8%).
All data for Sussex County, Delaware comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.