Housing data for Fenwick Island, DE
Fenwick Island, DE has an estimated 401 residents and 733 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Sussex County.
5.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,438 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−20.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 401 (±64)
- Housing units
- 733 (±79)
- Households that rent
- 5.4%
- Median gross rent
- $1,438
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −20.6%
What stands out in Fenwick Island
Rental vacancy rate: 60.7% (±20.8 points) in Fenwick Island, higher than in Sussex County (6.6%).
Median home value: $1,394,700 (±$209,046) in Fenwick Island, higher than in Sussex County ($382,600).
Working from home: 44.9% (±12.5 points) in Fenwick Island, higher than in Sussex County (13.4%).
Median real estate taxes: $2,500 (±$193) in Fenwick Island, higher than in Sussex County ($1,222).
Housing in Fenwick Island at a glance
- Median rent: $1,438 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 40.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 5.4% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $113,125 median household income
- Home values: $1,394,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,885 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,500 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 4.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 84.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 32.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 60.7% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 68.3% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 28.5 minutes average trip to work (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crime reported to police: 1,247 violent crimes per 100,000 residents (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Growth: −20.6% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 20.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Fenwick Island against Sussex County, its state and the nation
| Fenwick Island | Sussex County | Delaware | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 401 (±64) | 255,626 (exact) | 1,021,191 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 733 (±79) | 151,799 (±115) | 464,203 (±208) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 5.4% (±3.1 points) | 18.4% (±1.1 points) | 27.0% (±0.6 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,438 (±$663) | $1,238 (±$42) | $1,401 (±$16) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $113,125 (±$22,658) | $81,497 (±$1,512) | $84,954 (±$1,251) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,394,700 (±$209,046) | $382,600 (±$6,986) | $352,000 (±$2,842) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,500 (±$193) | $1,222 (±$23) | $1,768 (±$20) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 32.3% (±6.1 points) | 24.1% (±1.0 points) | 41.8% (±0.8 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 28.5 minutes (±11.0) | 27.3 minutes (±0.7) | 26.0 minutes (±0.3) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.7% (±3.5 points) | 91.5% (±0.8 points) | 92.4% (±0.4 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 66.8 years (±2.0) | 51.9 years (±0.2) | 41.6 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Fenwick Island covers 0.3 square miles of land, about 1,211 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Fenwick Island has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 505 (±59) | 401 (±64) | −20.6% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 806 (±82) | 733 (±79) | −9.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,167 (±$251) | $1,438 (±$663) | +23.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $838,400 (±$80,482) | $1,394,700 (±$209,046) | +66.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $73,750 (±$11,456) | $113,125 (±$22,658) | +53.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,658 (±$327) | $2,885 (±$425) | +8.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,982 (±$288) | $2,500 (±$193) | +26.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 6.3% (±4.7 points) | 5.4% (±3.1 points) | −0.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 48.8% (±21.6 points) | 60.7% (±20.8 points) | +11.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Fenwick Island
In 2025, the Fenwick Island Police Department reported 1,247 violent and 1,746 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Sussex County, the departments that report recorded 286 violent and 1,062 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Fenwick Island
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19944 | 27% | 636 | $1,393 | $1,189,300 | $121,250 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Fenwick Island
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bethany | 3.9 mi | — | $955,200 | 0.0% |
| Ocean City | 4.7 mi | $1,353 | $429,000 | 25.8% |
| Bethany Beach | 5.4 mi | $1,375 | $720,900 | 6.3% |
| Ocean View | 5.5 mi | $1,774 | $514,200 | 7.0% |
| Millville | 6.7 mi | $1,750 | $494,500 | 5.3% |
| Ocean Pines | 7.3 mi | $2,069 | $380,100 | 9.5% |
| Selbyville | 8.2 mi | $1,152 | $432,900 | 16.0% |
| West Ocean City | 8.4 mi | $1,620 | $423,700 | 18.1% |
Places in Delaware most like Fenwick Island
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethany Beach | $1,375 | $720,900 | $117,159 | 6.3% |
| Millville | $1,750 | $494,500 | $99,776 | 5.3% |
| Ocean View | $1,774 | $514,200 | $91,500 | 7.0% |
| Dewey Beach | $2,536 | $961,300 | $105,625 | 12.2% |
| Middletown | $1,583 | $409,600 | $112,831 | 23.2% |
| Rehoboth Beach | $1,307 | $1,486,100 | $137,500 | 19.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Delaware.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Fenwick Island, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,140 | $1,147 | $1,498 | $1,843 | $2,222 |
HUD income limits for Fenwick Island, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,700 | $36,150 | $57,800 |
| 2 people | $24,800 | $41,300 | $66,050 |
| 3 people | $27,900 | $46,450 | $74,300 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $51,600 | $82,550 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $55,750 | $89,200 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $59,900 | $95,800 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $64,000 | $102,400 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $68,150 | $109,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Sussex County, DE, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $103,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Fenwick Island
What is the median household income in Fenwick Island?
The median household income in Fenwick Island is $113,125 (±$22,658) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Fenwick Island, DE?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,394,700 (±$209,046) for owner-occupied homes in Fenwick Island (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Fenwick Island?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Fenwick Island, DE is $2,885 (±$425) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Fenwick Island?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Fenwick Island, DE is $2,500 (±$193) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Fenwick Island?
Fenwick Island, DE has an estimated 733 (±79) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Fenwick Island?
The most common size is 4 bedrooms, 31.8% of homes in Fenwick Island, DE.
Is Fenwick Island growing?
In Fenwick Island, the number of residents went from 505 in 2015–2019 to 401 in 2020–2024 (−20.6%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Fenwick Island?
The ZIP code that covers Fenwick Island is 19944.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 19944?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 19944 is $1,393 (±$59) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fenwick Island town, Delaware
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fenwick Island town, Delaware
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fenwick Island town, Delaware
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fenwick Island town, Delaware
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fenwick Island town, Delaware
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fenwick Island town, Delaware
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fenwick Island town, Delaware
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Sussex County, DE
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Sussex County, DE
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Fenwick Island Police Department (ORI DE0031200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Fenwick Island town, Delaware (place:26880, in state:10).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .