City profile · Delaware · Census ACS 2023

Dewey Beach, DE

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Dewey Beach - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

328
Residents
$107,917
Median income
$871,400
Median home
$1,399
Median rent (state)

Dewey Beach - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Dewey Beach lands in the 82nd percentile for household income and the 0th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

82nd
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
54th
percentile, median rent
0th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Dewey Beach, DE

328 people live in Dewey Beach, Delaware - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Dewey Beach brings in $107,917 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 7.3%. Typical homes in Dewey Beach are valued around $871,400, and the median resident age is 63.2 years. About 74.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 42.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Dewey Beach's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 10098.5 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Delaware tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Delaware at 99.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,399 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Delaware's average monthly utility costs around $243 (state average). Workers in Dewey Beach report an average commute of 17.4 minutes, with 58.6% driving alone and 36.1% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 94.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

328 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Delaware

Median Household Income

$107,917 /yr

Poverty 7.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

99.8 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Delaware average

How does Dewey Beach compare to other US cities?

Where Dewey Beach sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 82% higher than other cities
Home value 96% pricier than other cities
Median rent 54% pricier than other cities
Safety 0% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Delaware, Dewey Beach ranks #32 of 31 Delaware cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Dewey Beach against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Delaware only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Delaware-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Dewey Beach near the bottom of Delaware's cities

Among the 79 Delaware cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Dewey Beach ranks #54 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Dewey Beach only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#16 of 77
79th percentile in Delaware
Median Gross Rent
#54 of 79
0th percentile in Delaware
Median Home Value
#5 of 77
94th percentile in Delaware
Poverty Rate
#30 of 79
62nd percentile in Delaware
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#3 of 79
96th percentile in Delaware

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Delaware only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

82ndIncome percentile
0thSafety percentile

82nd percentile nationally for median household income · 0th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Dewey Beach's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Dewey Beach's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 36 Avg. percentile National median
Dewey Beach's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Dewey Beach's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$871,400 4th percentile more affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Dewey Beach $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Dewey Beach, DE Dewey Beach, DE's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Dewey Beach, DE-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Dewey Beach, DE median $107,917/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Dewey Beach, DE's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Dewey Beach, DE. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 74.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
328
Median Income
$107,917
Median Home Value
$871,400
Median Age
63.2
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Labor force participation
42.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
74.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
10098.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
4433.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
5665.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
340 residents360 residents380 residents400 residents420 residents440 residents 202020212022202320242025 360 residents 416 residents ▲ +15.6%
Dewey Beach's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.4 minutes
Drive Alone
58.6%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
5.3%
Work from Home
36.1%

Based on 133 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Delaware - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$243
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Delaware state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Delaware state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Dewey Beach sits in

Cost of Living Index
99.8
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,399/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
94.1 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Delaware

Woodside
309 people
Kenton
362 people
Bowers
273 people
Fenwick Island
383 people
Ardentown
269 people
Odessa
392 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Dewey Beach's 328 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Shorter, AL
328 people
Clarksburg, CA
328 people
Wacissa, FL
328 people
Brandon, IA
328 people
Natchez, LA
328 people
Canada Creek Ranch, MI
328 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Dewey Beach's $107,917 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

McClelland, IA
$107,917 median income
Columbia, IL
$107,922 median income
Lincolnwood, IL
$107,950 median income
Lockport Heights, IL
$107,875 median income
Malaga, NJ
$107,875 median income
Audubon Park, KY
$107,865 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Dewey Beach, DE Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Dewey Beach, DE - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 95.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.9% White 95.4% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.9% Two or more races 3.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Dewey Beach compares to nearby Delaware cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Dewey Beach (this city) 328 $107,917
Woodside 309 $77,176
Kenton 362 $52,589
Bowers 273 $76,406
Census ACS 5-year FIPS DE FBI UCR OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Dewey Beach, DE?

What is the population of Dewey Beach, DE? +

The population of Dewey Beach, DE stands at 328 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Dewey Beach, DE? +

Dewey Beach households earn a median of $107,917 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Dewey Beach? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Dewey Beach; the closest available measure is the Delaware state average, a cost of living index of 99.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Delaware vary by metro area.

Is Dewey Beach, DE safe? +

Dewey Beach has a total crime rate of 10098.5 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Dewey Beach, DE? +

Dewey Beach's median home value sits at $871,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.