19938 ZIP Code — Clayton, DE

Kent County, Delaware

ZIP code 19938 is located in Clayton, Delaware, within Kent County. It covers approximately 48.21 square miles and serves a population of 9,240 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 302.

About ZIP code 19938

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $301,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $89,345. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 19938 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

9,240

population

48.21

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19938 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19938

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19938. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Clayton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21650 Massey (7 mi) 19953 Hartly (7.3 mi) 19977 Smyrna (8.3 mi) 19904 Dover (8.5 mi) 19734 Townsend (8.5 mi) 21635 Galena (9.1 mi) 21649 Marydel (9.5 mi) 21651 Millington (9.8 mi) 21668 Sudlersville (10.7 mi) 19906 Dover (10.9 mi) 21607 Barclay (11.9 mi) 19934 Camden Wyoming (12.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	9,240
Population density	192 / sq mi
State FIPS	10
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	48.21 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	39.2584
Longitude	-75.6949
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	302

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	30.2%	41.1%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	40.6%	34.1%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	25.3%	21.7%	24.7%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.1%	7.6%

Demographics & statistics

9,240

Population

192

People per sq mi

39.5

Median age

$89,345

Median household income

$33,344

Per capita income

$301,700

Median home value

$1,615

Median monthly rent

85.2%

Home ownership

8.7%

Poverty rate

4.1%

Unemployment

2,769

Housing units

24.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

293

Under 5

260

428

5–9

378

399

10–14

352

376

15–19

333

176

20–24

155

472

25–34

418

675

35–44

597

688

45–54

608

249

55–59

220

398

60–64

352

516

65–74

457

185

75–84

164

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,538	27.5%
18 and over	6,702	72.5%
65 and over	1,413	15.3%
Median age	39.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 68%

Black or African American 19.2%

Two or more races 5.3%

Hispanic or Latino 3.3%

Asian 2.3%

Other race 1.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	6,502	68%
Black or African American	1,831	19.2%
Two or more races	511	5.3%
Hispanic or Latino	317	3.3%
Asian	222	2.3%
Other race	166	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	30.2%	41.1%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	40.6%	34.1%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	25.3%	21.7%	24.7%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.1%	7.6%

Under $10k 2.9%

$10k–$15k 2.5%

$15k–$25k 4.8%

$25k–$35k 2.8%

$35k–$50k 10.2%

$50k–$75k 16.9%

$75k–$100k 17.4%

$100k–$150k 29.8%

$150k–$200k 9.3%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.9%
$10k–$15k	2.5%
$15k–$25k	4.8%
$25k–$35k	2.8%
$35k–$50k	10.2%
$50k–$75k	16.9%
$75k–$100k	17.4%
$100k–$150k	29.8%
$150k–$200k	9.3%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$89,345

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.2%

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$100k–$150k 3.1%

$150k–$200k 8.4%

$200k–$300k 31.9%

$300k–$500k 44.1%

$500k–$1M 5.6%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$301,700
Median rent / month	$1,615
Owner occupied	85.2%
Renter occupied	14.8%
Vacant	2.9%
Single-family detached	81.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	13.7%
Median rooms	7.0
Avg household size (owned)	3.04

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	15.6%
2000–2009	29.0%
1990–1999	19.4%
1980–1989	11.9%
1970–1979	9.5%
1960–1969	4.9%
1950–1959	2.3%
1940–1949	0.6%
1939 or earlier	6.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	0.6%
2 bedrooms	6.4%
3 bedrooms	55.8%
4 bedrooms	32.3%
5+ bedrooms	4.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.2%
1 vehicle	25.2%
2 vehicles	40.2%
3 or more	33.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	42.1%
Electricity	30.1%
Propane / LP gas	15.8%
Fuel oil	7.1%
Wood	2.0%
Solar	0.6%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,015	64.2%
Cohabiting couple	111	3.5%
Male householder, no spouse	408	13.0%
Female householder, no spouse	605	19.3%
Households with children under 18	1,289	41.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,025	32.7%
Average household size	2.94

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.7%	22.5%
Married	59.1%	57.1%
Separated	1.6%	0.3%
Widowed	1.6%	10.2%
Divorced	7.0%	9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.0%

HS graduate 38.8%

Some college, no degree 18.1%

Associate's degree 9.8%

Bachelor's degree 12.9%

Graduate / professional 11.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.8%
Bachelor's or higher	24.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	91	3.4%
Kindergarten	219	8.1%
Elementary school	1,325	48.9%
High school	526	19.4%
College / grad school	548	20.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.3%

Retail trade 12.5%

Construction 8.6%

Public administration 8.3%

Finance & real estate 7.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.7%

Manufacturing 7.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.9%

Professional & management 5.5%

Other services 5.3%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Information 1.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.4%
Service	16.4%
Sales & office	23.0%
Natural resources & construction	11.4%
Production & transportation	12.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.5%
Government	23.7%
Self-employed	2.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.6%
Carpool	7.1%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	0.8%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.2

Poverty

All people 8.7%

Under 18 years 10.8%

18 and over 7.9%

Married-couple families 4.0%

Female-led households 26.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.6%
Retirement income	32.9%
Supplemental Security	2.6%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.0%
High blood pressure	31.9%
High cholesterol	31.4%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	5.7%
Stroke	2.7%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	23.7%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	7.1%
Cancer	5.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.8%
Binge drinking	16.6%
No physical activity	25.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.3%
Depression	20.0%
Fair or poor health	13.2%
Poor mental health	14.9%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	13.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.8%
Visited dentist	59.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.4%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	564	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.8%
Under 18	2.9%
18–64 years	10.5%
65 and over	39.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	81.4%
Public insurance	27.9%
No insurance	4.5%
Uninsured under 19	1.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,687	94.0%
Spanish	473	5.4%
Other Indo-European	97	1.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	27	0.3%
Other languages	248	2.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,736	94.5%
Born in same state	8,588	92.9%
Born in different state	5,437	58.8%
Foreign born	148	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	504	5.5%
Not a US citizen	331	65.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,437	15.6%
French	1,086	11.8%
Arab	525	5.7%
German	107	1.2%
English	90	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	55	0.6%
Dutch	7	0.1%
Norwegian	6	0.1%
Irish	4	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.0%
Internet access	96.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19938

What city is ZIP code 19938 in?

ZIP code 19938 is primarily assigned to Clayton, Delaware.

What county is ZIP code 19938 in?

ZIP code 19938 falls within Kent County, Delaware.

Is ZIP code 19938 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 19938 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 19938 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 19938 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 19938?

ZIP code 19938 has an estimated population of 9,240 residents, with a density of 192 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 19938?

The median home value in ZIP code 19938 is $301,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 19938 in?

ZIP code 19938 observes the EST timezone.