19970 ZIP Code — Ocean View, DE

Sussex County, Delaware

ZIP code 19970 is located in Ocean View, Delaware, within Sussex County. It covers approximately 9.33 square miles and serves a population of 7,639 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 302.

About ZIP code 19970

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $450,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $88,739. 56% 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. Remote work is prevalent — 23% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 19970 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,639

population

9.33

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19970 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19970

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19970. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ocean View	Acceptable
Ocean View	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19967 Millville (1.1 mi) 19930 Bethany Beach (1.5 mi) 19944 Fenwick Island (5.8 mi) 19939 Dagsboro (5.9 mi) 19975 Selbyville (6.8 mi) 19966 Millsboro (8.2 mi) 19945 Frankford (8.3 mi) 19971 Rehoboth Beach (8.8 mi) 21813 Bishopville (10.3 mi) 21842 Ocean City (11.7 mi) 19951 Harbeson (12 mi) 19958 Lewes (12.2 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	7,639
Population density	819 / sq mi
State FIPS	10
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	9.33 sq mi
Water area	1.06 sq mi
Latitude	38.5572
Longitude	-75.0971
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	302

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	28.1%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	37.3%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	24.5%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	10.1%	6.3%	7.6%

Demographics & statistics

7,639

Population

819

People per sq mi

63.1

Median age

$88,739

Median household income

$49,100

Per capita income

$450,300

Median home value

$1,463

Median monthly rent

91.5%

Home ownership

13.7%

Poverty rate

1.4%

Unemployment

7,911

Housing units

47.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

203

Under 5

260

169

5–9

216

10–14

15–19

20–24

283

25–34

362

116

35–44

149

264

45–54

338

276

55–59

352

359

60–64

459

832

65–74

1,065

573

75–84

733

113

85+

145

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,095	14.3%
18 and over	6,544	85.7%
65 and over	3,461	45.3%
Median age	63.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.3%

Two or more races 3%

Hispanic or Latino 2.7%

Asian 1.3%

Black or African American 1.1%

Other race 0.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	7,167	91.3%
Two or more races	239	3%
Hispanic or Latino	215	2.7%
Asian	101	1.3%
Black or African American	84	1.1%
Other race	32	0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	16	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	28.1%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	37.3%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	24.5%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	10.1%	6.3%	7.6%

Under $10k 7.5%

$10k–$15k 1.7%

$15k–$25k 6.2%

$25k–$35k 3.5%

$35k–$50k 6.6%

$50k–$75k 14.6%

$75k–$100k 20.9%

$100k–$150k 19.7%

$150k–$200k 9.7%

$200k+ 9.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.5%
$10k–$15k	1.7%
$15k–$25k	6.2%
$25k–$35k	3.5%
$35k–$50k	6.6%
$50k–$75k	14.6%
$75k–$100k	20.9%
$100k–$150k	19.7%
$150k–$200k	9.7%
$200k+	9.5%
Median income	$88,739

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.7%

$50k–$100k 0.3%

$100k–$150k 0.5%

$150k–$200k 0.5%

$200k–$300k 14.7%

$300k–$500k 45.5%

$500k–$1M 35.3%

$1M+ 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$450,300
Median rent / month	$1,463
Owner occupied	91.5%
Renter occupied	8.5%
Vacant	56.3%
Single-family detached	59.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.2%
Mobile homes	9.6%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.00

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.9%
2010–2019	24.2%
2000–2009	37.9%
1990–1999	13.2%
1980–1989	9.7%
1970–1979	5.9%
1960–1969	3.6%
1950–1959	0.3%
1940–1949	0.2%
1939 or earlier	2.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.1%
1 bedroom	1.4%
2 bedrooms	17.2%
3 bedrooms	49.6%
4 bedrooms	25.5%
5+ bedrooms	6.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.1%
1 vehicle	33.6%
2 vehicles	47.6%
3 or more	15.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	28.6%
Electricity	45.7%
Propane / LP gas	22.8%
Fuel oil	1.2%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,320	64.6%
Cohabiting couple	177	4.9%
Male householder, no spouse	225	6.3%
Female householder, no spouse	868	24.2%
Households with children under 18	425	11.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,226	62.0%
Average household size	2.13

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	13.1%	10.0%
Married	78.3%	63.5%
Separated	0.7%	0.1%
Widowed	2.1%	13.5%
Divorced	5.8%	12.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.5%

Some HS, no diploma 2.6%

HS graduate 24.1%

Some college, no degree 17.5%

Associate's degree 8.2%

Bachelor's degree 25.0%

Graduate / professional 22.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.9%
Bachelor's or higher	47.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	33	3.9%
Kindergarten	198	23.2%
Elementary school	278	32.6%
High school	119	14.0%
College / grad school	225	26.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.5%

Professional & management 14.6%

Construction 12.5%

Finance & real estate 11.6%

Retail trade 10.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.0%

Public administration 7.0%

Other services 3.9%

Manufacturing 3.3%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Transportation & utilities 1.2%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	53.6%
Service	11.8%
Sales & office	25.1%
Natural resources & construction	5.5%
Production & transportation	4.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	68.8%
Government	22.0%
Self-employed	8.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	65.1%
Carpool	8.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	23.2%
Other means	3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 13.7%

Under 18 years 49.3%

18 and over 7.8%

Married-couple families 5.9%

Female-led households 46.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	55.9%
Retirement income	49.5%
Supplemental Security	2.8%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.2%
High blood pressure	41.3%
High cholesterol	43.2%
Diabetes	12.0%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	8.7%
Arthritis	31.4%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	10.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	12.5%
Binge drinking	11.1%
No physical activity	24.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.0%
Depression	15.2%
Fair or poor health	13.0%
Poor mental health	10.6%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	11.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.2%
Visited dentist	64.9%
Cholesterol screening	94.5%
Teeth loss	10.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	671	10.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.3%
Under 18	15.0%
18–64 years	8.8%
65 and over	27.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	74.7%
Public insurance	57.4%
No insurance	2.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,176	93.9%
Spanish	82	1.1%
Other Indo-European	19	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	41	0.6%
Other languages	9	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,261	95.1%
Born in same state	7,246	94.9%
Born in different state	1,037	13.6%
Foreign born	15	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	378	4.9%
Not a US citizen	322	85.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,471	19.3%
French	1,180	15.4%
Arab	361	4.7%
English	125	1.6%
Polish	39	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	36	0.5%
Norwegian	36	0.5%
German	13	0.2%
Dutch	7	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	47.0%
Internet access	94.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19970

What city is ZIP code 19970 in?

ZIP code 19970 is primarily assigned to Ocean View, Delaware.

What county is ZIP code 19970 in?

ZIP code 19970 falls within Sussex County, Delaware.

Does ZIP code 19970 have an older population?

45% of residents in ZIP code 19970 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 19970 have a large retiree population?

56% of households in ZIP code 19970 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 19970 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 19970 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 19970?

47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What timezone is ZIP code 19970 in?

ZIP code 19970 observes the EST timezone.