RANK #236 / 1001 NAT · POP 255,626
1YR FORECAST: -1.1%
5YR OUTLOOK: +33%
Lewes, known as "The First Town in the First State," offers a blend of historic charm and coastal living where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Located in southern Delaware, Sussex County is within a two-hour drive of major cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., and about three hours from New York City. The county's landscape transitions from agrarian pastures inland to a network of bays, rivers, and Atlantic Ocean beaches. Outdoor recreation is a significant draw, with five state parks, including Cape Henlopen State Park and Delaware Seashore State Park, offering opportunities for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and bird-watching.
Sussex County offers a quality of life that attracts both retirees and families. The public school system includes districts like Cape Henlopen and Indian River, with schools such as H.O. Brittingham Elementary and Southern Delaware School of the Arts. While many residents own their homes, the county is experiencing rapid growth, leading to discussions about managing development and increasing affordable housing options. The economy is driven by tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail, with Perdue Farms being a major employer in Georgetown. Commute options include major highways like Routes 1 and 13, and DART First State provides public bus services, including on-demand microtransit in Georgetown and Millsboro.
Sussex County is one of 43 U.S. counties in this market profile — stronger than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of -0.5% matches the profile's typical -0.0%.
See all 43 Sun Belt Exurban Boom counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Moderate climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 17.7x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 76/100, Sussex County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. Employment is expanding at +2.1%, and median household income stands at $81,497 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in DE.
Sussex County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $382,600 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.21 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,238/month on average.
Sussex County is growing on multiple fronts. Population is up +3.2% year-over-year while employers added jobs at a +2.1% clip. Home values shifted -0.5% in the past year.
Not particularly — 1.27% of Sussex County's population moved in from another state, which is below the national average. Most residents are long-term locals rather than recent transplants.