19956 ZIP Code — Laurel, DE

Sussex County, Delaware

ZIP code 19956 is located in Laurel, Delaware, within Sussex County. It covers approximately 100.40 square miles and serves a population of 15,822 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 302.

About ZIP code 19956

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $209,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $53,633. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% 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 27 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 19956 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

15,822

population

100.40

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19956 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19956

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19956. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Laurel	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19940 Delmar (4.4 mi) 19931 Bethel (4.4 mi) 19973 Seaford (5.9 mi) 19947 Georgetown (11.8 mi) 19933 Bridgeville (12.6 mi) 21849 Parsonsburg (12.7 mi) 21801 Salisbury (12.9 mi) 21837 Mardela Springs (13.1 mi) 21659 Rhodesdale (14.1 mi) 21804 Salisbury (14.3 mi) 21830 Hebron (14.6 mi) 21850 Pittsville (15.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	15,822
Population density	158 / sq mi
State FIPS	10
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	100.40 sq mi
Water area	1.00 sq mi
Latitude	38.5495
Longitude	-75.5506
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	50.1%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	33.1%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	2.7%	6.3%	7.6%

Demographics & statistics

15,822

Population

158

People per sq mi

37.2

Median age

$53,633

Median household income

$26,216

Per capita income

$209,300

Median home value

$928

Median monthly rent

65.4%

Home ownership

20.9%

Poverty rate

5.0%

Unemployment

4,496

Housing units

15.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

442

Under 5

520

441

5–9

518

775

10–14

911

455

15–19

534

398

20–24

467

915

25–34

1,076

879

35–44

1,033

821

45–54

965

427

55–59

502

481

60–64

566

804

65–74

944

359

75–84

422

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,345	27.5%
18 and over	11,477	72.5%
65 and over	2,696	17.0%
Median age	37.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 65.9%

Black or African American 18.7%

Two or more races 6.1%

Hispanic or Latino 6%

Other race 2.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Asian 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	11,098	65.9%
Black or African American	3,145	18.7%
Two or more races	1,022	6.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,014	6%
Other race	352	2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	147	0.9%
Asian	33	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	25	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.1%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	33.1%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	2.7%	6.3%	7.6%

Under $10k 7.2%

$10k–$15k 6.7%

$15k–$25k 7.3%

$25k–$35k 12.1%

$35k–$50k 13.6%

$50k–$75k 17.9%

$75k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 14.4%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k+ 2.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.2%
$10k–$15k	6.7%
$15k–$25k	7.3%
$25k–$35k	12.1%
$35k–$50k	13.6%
$50k–$75k	17.9%
$75k–$100k	12.2%
$100k–$150k	14.4%
$150k–$200k	6.4%
$200k+	2.2%
Median income	$53,633

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.4%

$50k–$100k 6.4%

$100k–$150k 10.7%

$150k–$200k 21.5%

$200k–$300k 26.7%

$300k–$500k 22.6%

$500k–$1M 3.1%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$209,300
Median rent / month	$928
Owner occupied	65.4%
Renter occupied	34.6%
Vacant	8.1%
Single-family detached	67.7%
Large apartment buildings	1.5%
Mobile homes	18.6%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.52

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.3%
2010–2019	4.5%
2000–2009	19.4%
1990–1999	18.6%
1980–1989	7.8%
1970–1979	19.5%
1960–1969	6.2%
1950–1959	7.8%
1940–1949	4.3%
1939 or earlier	10.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	3.0%
2 bedrooms	24.8%
3 bedrooms	53.2%
4 bedrooms	14.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.0%
1 vehicle	33.9%
2 vehicles	34.8%
3 or more	27.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	10.5%
Electricity	53.9%
Propane / LP gas	16.5%
Fuel oil	14.5%
Wood	3.4%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,621	43.3%
Cohabiting couple	512	8.5%
Male householder, no spouse	899	14.8%
Female householder, no spouse	2,024	33.4%
Households with children under 18	2,148	35.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,946	32.1%
Average household size	2.61

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.6%	30.4%
Married	53.6%	40.7%
Separated	1.5%	5.2%
Widowed	2.7%	8.6%
Divorced	11.6%	15.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.1%

Some HS, no diploma 12.7%

HS graduate 39.4%

Some college, no degree 19.6%

Associate's degree 8.7%

Bachelor's degree 10.5%

Graduate / professional 5.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.2%
Bachelor's or higher	15.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	202	5.0%
Kindergarten	164	4.1%
Elementary school	2,023	50.0%
High school	1,123	27.7%
College / grad school	535	13.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.9%

Professional & management 10.4%

Construction 10.3%

Retail trade 10.1%

Manufacturing 8.8%

Transportation & utilities 8.7%

Finance & real estate 8.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.4%

Agriculture & mining 6.2%

Other services 4.5%

Public administration 3.5%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.8%
Service	21.8%
Sales & office	23.3%
Natural resources & construction	12.9%
Production & transportation	15.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.6%
Government	10.0%
Self-employed	9.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.5%
Carpool	7.5%
Public transit	1.2%
Walk	1.6%
Work from home	7.0%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.1

Poverty

All people 20.9%

Under 18 years 34.0%

18 and over 15.9%

Married-couple families 9.0%

Female-led households 46.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.4%
Retirement income	27.5%
Supplemental Security	7.4%
Cash public assistance	3.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	23.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.3%
High blood pressure	37.3%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	11.9%
Heart disease	7.8%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	26.3%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.6%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.9%
Binge drinking	13.6%
No physical activity	30.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.4%
Depression	18.1%
Fair or poor health	17.7%
Poor mental health	15.2%
Poor physical health	12.2%
No health insurance	18.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.0%
Visited dentist	50.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.5%
Teeth loss	18.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,022	8.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	3.3%
18–64 years	12.9%
65 and over	41.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.2%
Public insurance	53.4%
No insurance	6.8%
Uninsured under 19	6.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,860	93.9%
Spanish	797	5.4%
Other Indo-European	734	4.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	49	0.3%
Other languages	14	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,791	93.5%
Born in same state	14,698	92.9%
Born in different state	7,917	50.0%
Foreign born	93	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	1,031	6.5%
Not a US citizen	380	36.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,550	16.1%
French	2,424	15.3%
Arab	1,030	6.5%
German	97	0.6%
English	79	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	72	0.5%
Irish	52	0.3%
Dutch	23	0.1%
Norwegian	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.3%
Internet access	91.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19956

What city is ZIP code 19956 in?

ZIP code 19956 is primarily assigned to Laurel, Delaware.

What county is ZIP code 19956 in?

ZIP code 19956 falls within Sussex County, Delaware.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 19956?

21% of residents in ZIP code 19956 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 19956?

ZIP code 19956 has an estimated population of 15,822 residents, with a density of 158 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 19956?

The median household income in ZIP code 19956 is $53,633, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 19956?

The median home value in ZIP code 19956 is $209,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 19956 in?

ZIP code 19956 observes the EST timezone.