Sussex County, Delaware: commercial real estate data.
Sussex County, Delaware has a population of 255,626 across 936 square miles, up 14.2 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Sussex County
How many people live in Sussex County
- Population255,626
- 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-equivalents282nd
Sussex County is the 2nd largest of 3 Delaware counties by population. A median home costs 4.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sussex County
Is Sussex County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base14.21 percent
- Census 2020 base population237,390
- 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
The county has grown 14.21 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Sussex County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,898
- People arriving, from those returns15,439
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.13 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$127,341
- Largest single originSussex County Non-migrants (101,222 households)
- Largest single destination (101,222 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County Non-migrants | 101,222 | 190,783 | $9.28 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,897 | 3,275 | $209.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 936 | 1,579 | $88.7 m |
| Kent County | 855 | 1,567 | $50.5 m |
| New Castle County | 684 | 1,143 | $78.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 520 | 909 | $61.5 m |
| Wicomico County | 315 | 578 | $15.8 m |
| Montgomery County | 278 | 480 | $68.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sussex County Non-migrants, 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 the Sussex County economy runs on
- 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 Delaware counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents235th
- 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
Who employs people in Sussex County
- Covered employment, annual average94,273
- Establishments reporting11,171
- Average annual pay$55,078
- Average weekly wage$1,059
- Sector 72, employment14,617
- Sector 72, average annual pay$28,748
- Sector 62, employment14,175
- Sector 62, average annual pay$69,371
- Sector 44-45, employment13,446
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,159
- Sector 31-33, employment11,376
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$57,254
- Sector 23, employment6,274
- Sector 56, employment5,961
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 14,617 | 822 | $28,748 |
| Sector 62 | 14,175 | 1,230 | $69,371 |
| Sector 44-45 | 13,446 | 1,144 | $38,159 |
| Sector 31-33 | 11,376 | 223 | $57,254 |
| Sector 23 | 6,274 | 1,155 | $64,470 |
| Sector 56 | 5,961 | 1,200 | $51,312 |
| Sector 54 | 3,485 | 2,026 | $98,735 |
| Sector 81 | 3,038 | 548 | $43,942 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 14,617 jobs, 15.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sussex County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sussex County
What is being built in Sussex County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244,354
- Declared construction value permitted$640.3 m
- Single family units authorised3,816
- Multifamily units authorised538
- Multifamily share of units12.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$147,065
- Units authorised per 1,000 households40.9
Multifamily is 12.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sussex County
How much SBA lending happens in Sussex County
- 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)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals92.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$124.3 m
The average approval of $315,085 sits well above the median of $80,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually 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
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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sussex County
Which parts of Sussex County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending23
- Lewes, approvals53
- MILLSBORO, approvals39
- Rehoboth Beach, approvals33
- Milford, approvals27
- Seaford, approvals25
- Laurel, approvals20
| Place | 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 |
| Laurel | 20 | $8,114,900 |
| Georgetown | 20 | $9,869,900 |
| Bridgeville | 17 | $5,351,300 |
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 big 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 boundary1
- 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population255,626
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 14.21 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Sussex County?
Average annual pay is $55,078, or $1,059 a week, across 94,273 covered jobs. 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 totalling $104.3 m since FY2020, across 41 lenders, with a median approval of $80,000, plus 27 504 approvals worth $20.0 m. 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.
What is being built in Sussex County?
4,354 housing units were authorised 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 Sussex County Non-migrants, with 101,222 households. Arriving households report an average income of $127,341 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.