Housing data for Lewes, DE
Lewes, DE has an estimated 3,505 residents and 3,041 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Sussex County.
12.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $381 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+9.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,505 (±32)
- Housing units
- 3,041 (±265)
- Households that rent
- 12.9%
- Median gross rent
- $381
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +9.6%
What stands out in Lewes
Working from home: 40.2% (±9.9 points) in Lewes, higher than in Sussex County (13.4%).
Median home value: $826,100 (±$53,436) in Lewes, higher than in Sussex County ($382,600).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 22.1% (±9.3 points) in Lewes, higher than in Sussex County (8.9%).
Median gross rent: $381 (±$242) in Lewes, lower than in Sussex County ($1,238).
Housing in Lewes at a glance
- Median rent: $381 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 76.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 12.9% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $96,393 median household income
- Home values: $826,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,257 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,027 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 22.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 78.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 35.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 29.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 44.7% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 23.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 368 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +9.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 14.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Lewes against Sussex County, its state and the nation
| Lewes | Sussex County | Delaware | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,505 (±32) | 255,626 (exact) | 1,021,191 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 3,041 (±265) | 151,799 (±115) | 464,203 (±208) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 12.9% (±6.1 points) | 18.4% (±1.1 points) | 27.0% (±0.6 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $381 (±$242) | $1,238 (±$42) | $1,401 (±$16) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $96,393 (±$32,008) | $81,497 (±$1,512) | $84,954 (±$1,251) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $826,100 (±$53,436) | $382,600 (±$6,986) | $352,000 (±$2,842) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,027 (±$278) | $1,222 (±$23) | $1,768 (±$20) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 35.3% (±8.0 points) | 24.1% (±1.0 points) | 41.8% (±0.8 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 23.7 minutes (±5.6) | 27.3 minutes (±0.7) | 26.0 minutes (±0.3) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 92.4% (±5.6 points) | 91.5% (±0.8 points) | 92.4% (±0.4 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 67.2 years (±1.9) | 51.9 years (±0.2) | 41.6 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Lewes covers 4.2 square miles of land, about 836 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Lewes has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,198 (±14) | 3,505 (±32) | +9.6% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 2,805 (±232) | 3,041 (±265) | +8.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,065 (±$194) | $381 (±$242) | −64.2% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $558,200 (±$50,505) | $826,100 (±$53,436) | +48.0% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $88,984 (±$20,140) | $96,393 (±$32,008) | +8.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,922 (±$284) | $2,257 (±$308) | +17.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,505 (±$216) | $2,027 (±$278) | +34.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 19.0% (±5.8 points) | 12.9% (±6.1 points) | −6.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.8% (±7.7 points) | 29.0% (±24.7 points) | +24.2 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 Lewes
In 2025, the Lewes Police Department reported 368 violent and 868 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.
Places near Lewes
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henlopen Acres | 4.8 mi | — | $2,000,000 or more | 0.0% |
| Rehoboth Beach | 5.4 mi | $1,307 | $1,486,100 | 19.2% |
| Dewey Beach | 6.8 mi | $2,536 | $961,300 | 12.2% |
| Milton | 9.0 mi | $1,310 | $407,000 | 19.5% |
| Long Neck | 11 mi | $1,025 | $187,600 | 7.9% |
| Slaughter Beach | 13 mi | — | $757,400 | 2.2% |
| Georgetown | 15 mi | $1,410 | $281,400 | 49.5% |
| Cape May Point Borough | 15 mi | — | $1,050,000 | 2.4% |
Places in Delaware most like Lewes
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felton | $848 | $285,900 | $59,896 | 28.9% |
| Houston | $867 | $310,900 | $68,889 | 14.4% |
| Selbyville | $1,152 | $432,900 | $75,592 | 16.0% |
| Ellendale | $878 | $269,500 | $65,250 | 20.0% |
| Cheswold | $880 | $314,600 | $86,875 | 5.4% |
| Bowers | $850 | $304,200 | $67,500 | 15.5% |
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 Lewes, 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 Lewes, 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 Lewes
How many renters are there in Lewes?
Lewes has an estimated 225 (±111) renting households, 12.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Lewes?
The median household income in Lewes is $96,393 (±$32,008) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Lewes, DE?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $826,100 (±$53,436) for owner-occupied homes in Lewes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Lewes?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Lewes, DE is $2,257 (±$308) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Lewes?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Lewes, DE is $2,027 (±$278) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Lewes?
Lewes, DE has an estimated 3,041 (±265) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Lewes growing?
In Lewes, the number of residents went from 3,198 in 2015–2019 to 3,505 in 2020–2024 (+9.6%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lewes city, Delaware
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lewes city, Delaware
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lewes city, Delaware
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lewes city, Delaware
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lewes city, Delaware
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lewes city, Delaware
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lewes city, Delaware
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Sussex County, DE
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Sussex County, DE
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Lewes Police Department (ORI DE0030400)
- 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 Lewes city, Delaware (place:41830, 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 .