Dewey Beach, Delaware Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 351, Dewey Beach's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Dewey Beach is a small community located in Delaware, within Sussex County. The total population is 351. It ranks as the 69th most populous out of 79 Census-designated places in Delaware.

Age Demographics

The median age in Dewey Beach is 63.3 years. This is 52% higher than the state median of 41.6 years. Only 6.3% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 16.5% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Dewey Beach is $105,625. This is 24% higher than the state median of $84,954. It is also 31% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.6%. This is 18% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.4%. The unemployment rate is 2.7%. This is 48% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $961,300. Housing costs are 173% higher than the state median of $352,000. The home-value-to-income ratio of 9.1x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 87.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 73.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Dewey Beach has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 97.7% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 0.9%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (97.7% vs 58.1%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 11.1%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 4.3%.

Education

71.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Dewey Beach in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 100% higher than the state rate of 35.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 99.1%. Notably, 43.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Dewey Beach, Delaware is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Delaware state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 79 Census-designated places in Delaware. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.