New Castle County vs Sussex County
A side-by-side comparison of New Castle County and Sussex County: population, income, housing, and more.
New Castle County and Sussex County are counties in Delaware. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
New Castle County has the higher population (573,030 vs 247,799 in Sussex County). New Castle County has the higher median household income ($89,901 vs $78,162 in Sussex County). Sussex County has the higher median home value ($353,300 vs $329,800 in New Castle County).
Population, income & housing
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 573,030 | 247,799 |
| Median age | 39.2 yrs | 51.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $89,901 | $78,162 |
| Median home value | $329,800 | $353,300 |
| Median gross rent | $1,379 | $1,221 |
| Housing units | 235,057 | 147,904 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.5% | 81.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.2% | 32.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 556,165 → 573,030 (+3.0%) | 224,384 → 247,799 (+10.4%) |
| Median household income | $73,892 → $89,901 (+21.7%) | $63,162 → $78,162 (+23.7%) |
| Median home value | $260,800 → $329,800 (+26.5%) | $258,600 → $353,300 (+36.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,163 → $1,379 (+18.6%) | $1,030 → $1,221 (+18.5%) |
New Castle County
556,165573,030
$73,892$89,901
$260,800$329,800
$1,163$1,379
Sussex County
224,384247,799
$63,162$78,162
$258,600$353,300
$1,030$1,221
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.5% | 4.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.9% | 13.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.1% | 6.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.0% | 9.6% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.0% | 9.7% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.4% | 10.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 16.5% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 18.7% |
| 75 and over | 6.7% | 10.8% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 53.5% | 72.8% |
| Black or African American | 24.6% | 10.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 5.9% | 1.2% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 4.0% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.4% | 11.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.4% | 10.4% |
| High school graduate | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| Some college or associate's | 26.0% | 27.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 22.3% | 18.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 17.0% | 13.8% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 70.7% | 76.8% |
| Carpooled | 7.5% | 8.0% |
| Public transit | 2.6% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 2.2% | 1.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Worked from home | 15.5% | 11.8% |
| Other means | 1.2% | 1.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 52.8% | 65.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 21.3% | 9.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.7% | 2.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 11.6% | 5.7% |
| 20 or more units | 7.3% | 2.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.2% | 13.3% |
Poverty & households
| New Castle County | Sussex County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 11.5% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.37 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 27 |
| Median year structure built | 1975 | 1999 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Delaware
- Most densely populated — counties in Delaware
- Highest median household income — counties in Delaware
- Highest median home value — counties in Delaware
- Most affordable home values — counties in Delaware
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Delaware
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Delaware
- Oldest by median age — counties in Delaware
- Youngest by median age — counties in Delaware
- Most college-educated — counties in Delaware
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Delaware
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Delaware
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Delaware
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Delaware
- Longest commutes — counties in Delaware
- Shortest commutes — counties in Delaware
- Largest households — counties in Delaware
- Newest housing — counties in Delaware
- Oldest housing — counties in Delaware
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Delaware
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Delaware