Sussex County, Delaware: commercial real estate data.
Sussex County, Delaware had an estimated 271,134 residents on July 1, 2024, up 14.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 237,390, across 936 square miles. County output reached $23.36 bn in 2024, 6,411 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 331 7(a) approvals worth $104.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Sussex County
How many people live in Sussex County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024255,626
- Households106,441
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$81,497
- Median age51.9
- Median gross rent$1,238 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$382,600
- Home value to household income4.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over193,708
- Population under 1846,256
- Share under 1818.1 percent
- Population 65 and over77,249
- Share 65 and over30.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64132,121
- Civilian labor force115,941
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.4 percent
- Rank by population among Delaware counties2nd of 3
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included282nd of 3,222
Sussex County is the 2nd largest of 3 Delaware counties by population. A median home costs 4.7 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 30.2 percent against 18.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sussex County
Is Sussex County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024271,134
- Census 2020 base population237,390
- Population change since the 2020 census base14.21 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20247,159
- Births, 20242,398
- Deaths, 20243,180
- Natural change, 2024-782
- Net domestic migration, 20246,507
- Net international migration, 20241,386
- Total net migration, 20247,893
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202432,915
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents73rd of 3,144
The county has grown 14.21 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sussex County
Where are people moving to Sussex County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,898
- People arriving, from those returns15,439
- Tax returns filed by households leaving5,391
- Net household movement3,507
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.13 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$686.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$127,341
- Average income of a leaving household$82,931
- Largest single originKent County (855 households)
- Largest single destinationKent County (770 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 855 | 1,567 | $50.5 m |
| New Castle County | 684 | 1,143 | $78.9 m |
| Wicomico County | 315 | 578 | $15.8 m |
| Montgomery County | 278 | 480 | $68.9 m |
| Baltimore County | 272 | 457 | $44.6 m |
| Anne Arundel County | 222 | 368 | $45.1 m |
| Worcester County | 200 | 314 | $16.2 m |
| Chester County | 191 | 350 | $35.2 m |
Households arriving report $44,410 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Kent County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Sussex County
What is the Sussex County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$23.36 bn
- County GDP, 2023$21.30 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.7 percent
- GDP change over five years62.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Delaware areas BEA publishes2nd of 3
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes235th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$91,367
Output grew 9.7 percent in the latest year and 62.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Sussex County
Employment by industry in Sussex County
- Covered employment, annual average94,273
- Establishments reporting11,171
- Average annual pay$55,078
- Average weekly wage$1,059
- Accommodation and food services, employment14,617
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$28,748
- Health care and social assistance, employment14,175
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$69,371
- Retail trade, employment13,446
- Retail trade, average annual pay$38,159
- Manufacturing, employment11,376
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$57,254
- Construction, employment6,274
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment5,961
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 14,617 | 822 | $28,748 |
| Health care and social assistance | 14,175 | 1,230 | $69,371 |
| Retail trade | 13,446 | 1,144 | $38,159 |
| Manufacturing | 11,376 | 223 | $57,254 |
| Construction | 6,274 | 1,155 | $64,470 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 5,961 | 1,200 | $51,312 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,485 | 2,026 | $98,735 |
| Other services, except public administration | 3,038 | 548 | $43,942 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 14,617 jobs, 15.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sussex County
How many businesses are in Sussex County?
- Establishments, all industries6,411
- Employment at those establishments78,541
- Annual payroll$4.01 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sussex County
Building permits in Sussex County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20244,354
- Declared construction value permitted$640.3 m
- Single family units authorized3,816
- Multifamily units authorized538
- Multifamily share of units12.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$147,065
- Units authorized per 1,000 households40.9
Single-family homes are 87.6 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sussex County
SBA loans in Sussex County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded331
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$104.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$315,085
- Median 7(a) approval$80,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$850,000
- Largest single approval$4,990,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,376
- Jobs per approval7.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active41
- Distinct industries receiving approvals129
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms34
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter282
- Franchise loans18
- Franchise share of approvals5.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (12)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (174)
- 504 approvals recorded27
- 504 gross approval dollars$20.0 m
- Average 504 approval$741,000
- Median 504 approval$614,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval10.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.4
- Most active CDCDelaware Community Development Corporation (15)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$124.3 m
The average approval of $315,085 sits well above the median of $80,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 10.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sussex County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Sussex County
Do SBA loans in Sussex County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded82
- Paid in full74
- Charged off8
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans9.8 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure175
- Status: Paid in full74
- Status: Cancelled41
- Status: Charged off8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed33
Of the 82 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.8 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sussex County
SBA lending by place in Sussex County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending23
- Lewes, approvals53
- Millsboro, approvals39
- Rehoboth Beach, approvals33
- Milford, approvals27
- Seaford, approvals25
- Georgetown, approvals20
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | 53 | $13,716,900 |
| Millsboro | 39 | $6,494,200 |
| Rehoboth Beach | 33 | $11,771,700 |
| Milford | 27 | $9,884,000 |
| Seaford | 25 | $10,763,000 |
| Georgetown | 20 | $9,869,900 |
| Laurel | 20 | $8,114,900 |
| Bridgeville | 17 | $5,351,300 |
| 15 other borrower cities | 97 | $28,327,400 |
Lewes accounts for 53 approvals against 39 in Millsboro. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sussex County
How large is Sussex County?
- Land area936 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Delaware counties1st of 3
- Width, east to west36.4 mi
- Height, north to south35.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land273
- Establishments per square mile6.85
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sussex County
Flood risk in Sussex County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Sussex County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 100029
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book26
- Of those, participating in the NFIP26
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class7
- Radon levels in Sussex County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Sussex County (community 100029), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Sussex County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Sussex County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Sussex County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024255,626
- Households106,441
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$81,497
- Median age51.9
Common questions
Sussex County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sussex County, Delaware?
The Census Bureau estimates 271,134 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 255,626, in 106,441 households, ranking 2nd of 3 Delaware counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sussex County's population growing?
The population has grown 14.21 percent since the 2020 census base of 237,390, to 271,134 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 2,398 births against 3,180 deaths, with net migration of 7,893. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sussex County?
$81,497. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $382,600, which is 4.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,238 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Sussex County?
6,411 establishments, employing 78,541 people with an annual payroll of $4.01 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Sussex County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 14,617 jobs, 15.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 94,273 jobs at an average annual pay of $55,078, or $1,059 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sussex County?
331 7(a) approvals totaling $104.3 m since FY2020, across 41 lenders, with a median approval of $80,000, plus 27 504 approvals worth $20.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Sussex County get paid back?
Of the 82 loans that have reached a final outcome, 74 were paid in full and 8 charged off, a charge-off rate of 9.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Sussex County?
4,354 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $640.3 m. Multifamily was 12.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sussex County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Sussex County come from?
The largest single origin is Kent County, with 855 households. Arriving households report an average income of $127,341 against $82,931 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sussex County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Sussex County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Sussex County
Cities and places in Sussex.
27 Census places lie wholly or partly in Sussex County. All 27 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milford | city | 12,803 | 27 | 59.9 percent here, 40.1 percent Kent County |
| Seaford | city | 8,485 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Georgetown | town | 7,660 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Millsboro | town | 7,424 | 39 | Wholly in this county |
| Laurel | town | 4,152 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Milton | town | 3,567 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Lewes | city | 3,505 | 53 | Wholly in this county |
| Selbyville | town | 3,097 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Ocean View | town | 2,851 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Bridgeville | town | 2,745 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Millville | town | 2,430 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Delmar | town | 2,412 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Long Neck | CDP | 2,161 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lincoln | CDP | 1,873 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenwood | town | 1,564 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Dagsboro | town | 1,376 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Rehoboth Beach | city | 1,370 | 33 | Wholly in this county |
| Frankford | town | 1,215 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Blades | town | 1,071 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bethany Beach | town | 905 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Ellendale | town | 760 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| South Bethany | town | 545 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Slaughter Beach | town | 408 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fenwick Island | town | 401 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Bethel | town | 375 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dewey Beach | town | 351 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Henlopen Acres | town | 176 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 9 of the county's 331 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Sussex County, the largest being Harbeson (8), Rehoboth (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.