19946 ZIP Code — Frederica, DE

Kent County, Delaware

ZIP code 19946 is located in Frederica, Delaware, within Kent County. It covers approximately 23.07 square miles and serves a population of 5,497 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 302.

About ZIP code 19946

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 $263,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($67,022) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 44% 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 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

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

Overall, ZIP code 19946 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

5,497

population

23.07

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19946 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19946

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19946. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Frederica	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19962 Magnolia (3.6 mi) 19902 Dover Afb (6 mi) 19979 Viola (6.5 mi) 19943 Felton (8 mi) 19963 Milford (8 mi) 19901 Dover (9 mi) 19934 Camden Wyoming (9.4 mi) 19906 Dover (9.6 mi) 19954 Houston (9.9 mi) 19952 Harrington (11.5 mi) 19904 Dover (11.8 mi) 19960 Lincoln (12.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,497
Population density	238 / sq mi
State FIPS	10
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	23.07 sq mi
Water area	0.26 sq mi
Latitude	39.0306
Longitude	-75.4590
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	47.5%	41.1%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	27.8%	34.1%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	21.4%	21.7%	24.7%
Over $200k	3.4%	3.1%	7.6%

Demographics & statistics

5,497

Population

238

People per sq mi

48.7

Median age

$67,022

Median household income

$34,832

Per capita income

$263,400

Median home value

$1,298

Median monthly rent

81.6%

Home ownership

13.6%

Poverty rate

5.2%

Unemployment

1,908

Housing units

16.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

153

5–9

194

205

10–14

258

170

15–19

214

119

20–24

150

233

25–34

295

185

35–44

234

385

45–54

486

229

55–59

289

250

60–64

315

310

65–74

392

102

75–84

129

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,232	22.4%
18 and over	4,265	77.6%
65 and over	999	18.2%
Median age	48.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 67.2%

Black or African American 19.9%

Two or more races 7.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.7%

Other race 2.4%

Asian 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	3,798	67.2%
Black or African American	1,122	19.9%
Two or more races	408	7.2%
Hispanic or Latino	154	2.7%
Other race	133	2.4%
Asian	36	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.5%	41.1%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	27.8%	34.1%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	21.4%	21.7%	24.7%
Over $200k	3.4%	3.1%	7.6%

Under $10k 3.1%

$10k–$15k 6.6%

$15k–$25k 2.3%

$25k–$35k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 17.5%

$50k–$75k 17.2%

$75k–$100k 10.8%

$100k–$150k 24.0%

$150k–$200k 5.8%

$200k+ 5.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.1%
$10k–$15k	6.6%
$15k–$25k	2.3%
$25k–$35k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	17.5%
$50k–$75k	17.2%
$75k–$100k	10.8%
$100k–$150k	24.0%
$150k–$200k	5.8%
$200k+	5.0%
Median income	$67,022

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.1%

$50k–$100k 2.4%

$100k–$150k 5.3%

$150k–$200k 12.8%

$200k–$300k 26.3%

$300k–$500k 31.4%

$500k–$1M 3.8%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$263,400
Median rent / month	$1,298
Owner occupied	81.6%
Renter occupied	18.4%
Vacant	9.8%
Single-family detached	71.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	24.9%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.57

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	13.2%
2000–2009	19.9%
1990–1999	19.3%
1980–1989	19.7%
1970–1979	6.0%
1960–1969	3.5%
1950–1959	6.0%
1940–1949	3.8%
1939 or earlier	8.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.1%
1 bedroom	1.8%
2 bedrooms	22.8%
3 bedrooms	57.7%
4 bedrooms	15.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.7%
1 vehicle	29.1%
2 vehicles	42.4%
3 or more	26.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	11.1%
Electricity	25.7%
Propane / LP gas	27.1%
Fuel oil	30.1%
Wood	1.8%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,135	55.0%
Cohabiting couple	147	7.1%
Male householder, no spouse	197	9.5%
Female householder, no spouse	585	28.3%
Households with children under 18	588	28.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	770	37.3%
Average household size	2.66

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.3%	24.1%
Married	57.0%	45.2%
Separated	0.7%	4.5%
Widowed	1.5%	11.8%
Divorced	6.5%	14.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.9%

Some HS, no diploma 14.2%

HS graduate 36.2%

Some college, no degree 18.8%

Associate's degree 10.8%

Bachelor's degree 9.7%

Graduate / professional 6.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.9%
Bachelor's or higher	16.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	4	0.3%
Kindergarten	85	5.9%
Elementary school	691	47.8%
High school	371	25.7%
College / grad school	294	20.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.3%

Retail trade 13.2%

Finance & real estate 9.4%

Manufacturing 8.0%

Construction 7.4%

Public administration 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Agriculture & mining 3.8%

Information 3.2%

Professional & management 3.1%

Other services 1.7%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.5%
Service	22.7%
Sales & office	17.3%
Natural resources & construction	13.0%
Production & transportation	14.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.1%
Government	14.2%
Self-employed	7.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.0%
Carpool	8.8%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	17.5%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.4

Poverty

All people 13.6%

Under 18 years 31.9%

18 and over 8.3%

Married-couple families 0.3%

Female-led households 26.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.6%
Retirement income	31.6%
Supplemental Security	7.7%
Cash public assistance	0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.7%
High blood pressure	36.0%
High cholesterol	33.4%
Diabetes	12.2%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	26.8%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	8.3%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.7%
Binge drinking	14.6%
No physical activity	27.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.8%
Depression	19.3%
Fair or poor health	15.4%
Poor mental health	14.6%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	13.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.1%
Visited dentist	57.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	14.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	421	9.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.4%
Under 18	2.4%
18–64 years	18.7%
65 and over	36.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.2%
Public insurance	44.9%
No insurance	3.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,363	97.6%
Spanish	12	0.2%
Other Indo-European	6	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	6	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,372	97.7%
Born in same state	5,312	96.6%
Born in different state	2,947	53.6%
Foreign born	60	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	125	2.3%
Not a US citizen	113	90.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	885	16.1%
Italian	821	14.9%
French	571	10.4%
Norwegian	110	2%
Polish	93	1.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	70	1.3%
German	47	0.9%
Dutch	15	0.3%
Irish	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.5%
Internet access	94.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19946

What city is ZIP code 19946 in?

ZIP code 19946 is primarily assigned to Frederica, Delaware.

What county is ZIP code 19946 in?

ZIP code 19946 falls within Kent County, Delaware.

Does ZIP code 19946 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 19946 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 19946 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 19946 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 19946 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 19946 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 19946?

ZIP code 19946 has an estimated population of 5,497 residents, with a density of 238 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 19946 in?

ZIP code 19946 observes the EST timezone.