19971 ZIP Code — Rehoboth Beach, DE

Sussex County, Delaware

ZIP code 19971 is located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, within Sussex County. It covers approximately 17.96 square miles and serves a population of 15,043 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 302.

About ZIP code 19971

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 $486,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($101,181) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 54% 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 22 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 21% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 19971 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

15,043

population

17.96

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19971 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19971

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19971. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rehoboth Beach	Acceptable
Rehoboth Beach	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19958 Lewes (4.1 mi) 19951 Harbeson (7.1 mi) 19970 Ocean View (8.8 mi) 19930 Bethany Beach (9.1 mi) 19967 Millville (9.5 mi) 19939 Dagsboro (10.1 mi) 19966 Millsboro (11.4 mi) 19968 Milton (11.7 mi) 19945 Frankford (14.2 mi) 19944 Fenwick Island (14.4 mi) 19975 Selbyville (14.9 mi) 19947 Georgetown (15.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	15,043
Population density	838 / sq mi
State FIPS	10
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	17.96 sq mi
Water area	11.23 sq mi
Latitude	38.6842
Longitude	-75.1078
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	29.5%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	32.0%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	23.7%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	14.9%	6.3%	7.6%

Demographics & statistics

15,043

Population

838

People per sq mi

61.6

Median age

$101,181

Median household income

$74,936

Per capita income

$486,300

Median home value

$1,369

Median monthly rent

89.0%

Home ownership

7.7%

Poverty rate

4.7%

Unemployment

15,715

Housing units

54.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

115

Under 5

127

194

5–9

215

190

10–14

211

127

15–19

141

209

20–24

232

394

25–34

437

644

35–44

713

690

45–54

764

802

55–59

890

770

60–64

854

1,799

65–74

1,995

888

75–84

985

312

85+

345

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,202	8.0%
18 and over	13,841	92.0%
65 and over	6,324	42.0%
Median age	61.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 87.5%

Black or African American 4.3%

Two or more races 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.5%

Other race 1.4%

Asian 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	13,499	87.5%
Black or African American	660	4.3%
Two or more races	491	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	387	2.5%
Other race	211	1.4%
Asian	180	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	29.5%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	32.0%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	23.7%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	14.9%	6.3%	7.6%

Under $10k 2.5%

$10k–$15k 0.8%

$15k–$25k 5.7%

$25k–$35k 7.7%

$35k–$50k 6.8%

$50k–$75k 16.0%

$75k–$100k 9.9%

$100k–$150k 15.1%

$150k–$200k 15.2%

$200k+ 20.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.5%
$10k–$15k	0.8%
$15k–$25k	5.7%
$25k–$35k	7.7%
$35k–$50k	6.8%
$50k–$75k	16.0%
$75k–$100k	9.9%
$100k–$150k	15.1%
$150k–$200k	15.2%
$200k+	20.3%
Median income	$101,181

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.2%

$50k–$100k 3.7%

$100k–$150k 2.3%

$150k–$200k 2.1%

$200k–$300k 6.8%

$300k–$500k 32.0%

$500k–$1M 28.2%

$1M+ 19.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$486,300
Median rent / month	$1,369
Owner occupied	89.0%
Renter occupied	11.0%
Vacant	54.2%
Single-family detached	57.2%
Large apartment buildings	6.0%
Mobile homes	12.1%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	1.97

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.8%
2010–2019	15.0%
2000–2009	24.2%
1990–1999	14.6%
1980–1989	15.7%
1970–1979	11.5%
1960–1969	6.3%
1950–1959	4.4%
1940–1949	2.3%
1939 or earlier	4.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	2.6%
2 bedrooms	17.8%
3 bedrooms	39.5%
4 bedrooms	27.1%
5+ bedrooms	10.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.7%
1 vehicle	34.6%
2 vehicles	48.0%
3 or more	13.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	19.5%
Electricity	44.7%
Propane / LP gas	25.3%
Fuel oil	8.2%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.6%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,052	53.4%
Cohabiting couple	370	4.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,184	15.6%
Female householder, no spouse	1,976	26.1%
Households with children under 18	680	9.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,327	57.1%
Average household size	1.98

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.8%	18.9%
Married	64.9%	56.3%
Separated	0.8%	1.1%
Widowed	3.6%	8.4%
Divorced	7.0%	15.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.6%

Some HS, no diploma 2.8%

HS graduate 18.9%

Some college, no degree 15.4%

Associate's degree 6.8%

Bachelor's degree 30.0%

Graduate / professional 24.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.6%
Bachelor's or higher	54.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	128	8.2%
Kindergarten	38	2.4%
Elementary school	644	41.4%
High school	225	14.5%
College / grad school	521	33.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.4%

Finance & real estate 15.0%

Professional & management 13.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.7%

Retail trade 9.8%

Public administration 6.5%

Construction 5.4%

Manufacturing 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 3.7%

Other services 3.5%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Information 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	48.9%
Service	13.8%
Sales & office	29.5%
Natural resources & construction	3.3%
Production & transportation	4.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	12.6%
Self-employed	7.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.9%
Carpool	2.2%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	1.2%
Work from home	20.7%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.5

Poverty

All people 7.7%

Under 18 years 25.9%

18 and over 6.1%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 17.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	54.4%
Retirement income	48.0%
Supplemental Security	2.5%
Cash public assistance	2.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.9%
High blood pressure	37.3%
High cholesterol	40.5%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	8.2%
Arthritis	27.3%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	9.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	10.6%
Binge drinking	12.1%
No physical activity	20.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.5%
Depression	14.1%
Fair or poor health	10.6%
Poor mental health	10.0%
Poor physical health	8.6%
No health insurance	10.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.1%
Visited dentist	68.3%
Cholesterol screening	94.5%
Teeth loss	8.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,311	9.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.3%
Under 18	3.0%
18–64 years	8.7%
65 and over	23.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	76.3%
Public insurance	50.9%
No insurance	3.1%
Uninsured under 19	2.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,801	98.4%
Spanish	135	0.9%
Other Indo-European	74	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	60	0.4%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,276	94.9%
Born in same state	14,145	94.0%
Born in different state	3,723	24.7%
Foreign born	131	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	767	5.1%
Not a US citizen	535	69.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,102	20.6%
French	2,647	17.6%
Arab	1,143	7.6%
Norwegian	141	0.9%
English	132	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	119	0.8%
German	89	0.6%
Polish	72	0.5%
Dutch	20	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	50.4%
Internet access	98.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19971

What city is ZIP code 19971 in?

ZIP code 19971 is primarily assigned to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

What county is ZIP code 19971 in?

ZIP code 19971 falls within Sussex County, Delaware.

Does ZIP code 19971 have an older population?

42% of residents in ZIP code 19971 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 19971 have a large retiree population?

54% of households in ZIP code 19971 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 19971 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 19971 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 19971?

54% 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 19971 in?

ZIP code 19971 observes the EST timezone.