Town · Delaware
Fenwick Island, Delaware
Fenwick Island, town, in Sussex County, Delaware. Fenwick Island had 398 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 16.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 343 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 401 (±64). GEOID 1026880.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
398
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 343 · ACS 2020-2024: 401 ±64
Median household income
$113,125
±$22,658 (90% margin)
Delaware: $84,954
Median home value
$1,394,700
±$209,046 (90% margin)
Delaware: $352,000
Median gross rent
$1,438
±$663 (90% margin)
Delaware: $1,401
Where is Fenwick Island and what county is it in?
Fenwick Island is a town in Sussex County, Delaware. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 1,036 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fenwick Island is in the Seaford, DE micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Fenwick Island, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 398 people lived in Fenwick Island on July 1, 2025, up 16.4% since 2020, faster than Delaware (+7.1%). The 2020 Census counted 343 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 401 (±64).
| Measure | Fenwick Island | Sussex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 401 ±64 | 255,626 | −104 |
| Households | 205 ±37 | 106,441 | −67 |
| Average household size | 1.96 ±0.21 | 2.38 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 733 ±79 | 151,799 | no clear change |
Fenwick Island's population since 2000
From 342 in 2000 to 398 in 2025: up 16.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Fenwick Island as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Fenwick Island?
The median resident of Fenwick Island is 66.8 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.5%.
| Measure | Fenwick Island | Sussex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 66.8 ±2.0 | 51.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 1.2% ±1.9 pts | 18.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 57.4% ±6.6 pts | 30.2% | – |
| Male | 49.4% ±3.7 pts | 48.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.5% ±4.5 pts | 11.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.5% ±4.6 pts | 72.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.0% ±1.3 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.1% ±2.2 pts | 8.5% | – |
| With a disability | 15.2% ±5.2 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5% ±2.2 pts | 7.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.0% ±4.1 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 56.8% ±6.8 pts | 33.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 27.1% ±5.5 pts | 14.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.0% ±4.6 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.2% ±3.3 pts | 4.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Fenwick Island earn?
Half of Fenwick Island's 205 households earn less than $113,125 a year (±$22,658), against $81,497 in Sussex County and $84,954 in Delaware. In 2015-2019 it was $90,764 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 3.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Fenwick Island | Sussex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $113,125 ±$22,658 | $81,497 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $191,589 ±$38,973 | $109,282 | – |
| Per capita income | $100,572 ±$18,653 | $46,684 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 3.0% ±1.9 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±100.0 pts | 18.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 0.0% ±16.6 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.6% ±2.2 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.7% ±3.5 pts | 91.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Fenwick Island?
Owners occupy 94.6% of Fenwick Island's occupied homes and renters 5.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $1,394,700 by its owner (±$209,046). The median renter pays $1,438 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Fenwick Island | Sussex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $1,394,700 ±$209,046 | $382,600 | +$362,886 |
| Median gross rent | $1,438 ±$663 | $1,238 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.0% ±54.5 pts | 42.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,885 ±$425 | $1,736 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.6% ±3.1 pts | 81.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 5.4% ±3.1 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Housing units | 733 ±79 | 151,799 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.5 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 60.7% ±20.8 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.6% ±3.1 pts | 65.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.3% ±1.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.0% ±2.9 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 3.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Fenwick Island work and get to work?
50.0% of Fenwick Island's workers drive alone and 44.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.5 minutes.
| Measure | Fenwick Island | Sussex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 36.7% ±6.4 pts | 54.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±4.8 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 50.0% ±12.3 pts | 75.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.7% ±1.4 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±23.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 4.3% ±4.7 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 44.9% ±12.5 pts | 13.4% | +36.4 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.5 min ±11.0 | 27.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Fenwick Island?
No census tract lies mostly in Fenwick Island; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 512.05Sussex County | 720 | $119,750 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Fenwick Island) · Census block assignment files
How does Fenwick Island compare with other places in Delaware?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Fenwick Island is the 14,142nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 42nd-most populous of 57 in Delaware.
Fenwick Island is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 42nd | 57 |
Fenwick Island's figures with every place in Delaware (CSV)
Every place in Delaware, sortable · Compare Fenwick Island with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Fenwick Island?
23 of the 57 figures for Fenwick Island on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Fenwick Island are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Fenwick Island.