19973 ZIP Code — Seaford, DE

Sussex County, Delaware

ZIP code 19973 is located in Seaford, Delaware, within Sussex County. It covers approximately 84.00 square miles and serves a population of 26,070 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 302.

About ZIP code 19973

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 $241,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

Median household income is $61,849. 39% 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 29 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 19973 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

26,070

population

84.00

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19973 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19973

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19973. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Seaford	Acceptable
Seaford	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19931 Bethel (4.5 mi) 19956 Laurel (5.9 mi) 19933 Bridgeville (6.8 mi) 19940 Delmar (10.2 mi) 19947 Georgetown (10.6 mi) 21632 Federalsburg (12.9 mi) 21659 Rhodesdale (12.9 mi) 19950 Greenwood (13.6 mi) 19941 Ellendale (14.4 mi) 21837 Mardela Springs (15 mi) 21643 Hurlock (15.3 mi) 19960 Lincoln (17.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	26,070
Population density	310 / sq mi
State FIPS	10
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	84.00 sq mi
Water area	2.01 sq mi
Latitude	38.6318
Longitude	-75.5827
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	44.3%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	25.9%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	2.7%	6.3%	7.6%

Demographics & statistics

26,070

Population

310

People per sq mi

43.6

Median age

$61,849

Median household income

$32,295

Per capita income

$241,100

Median home value

$1,044

Median monthly rent

74.5%

Home ownership

16.8%

Poverty rate

8.1%

Unemployment

8,160

Housing units

18.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

796

Under 5

824

769

5–9

797

765

10–14

792

709

15–19

734

827

20–24

858

1,312

25–34

1,359

1,479

35–44

1,533

1,799

45–54

1,865

836

55–59

866

852

60–64

882

1,651

65–74

1,711

712

75–84

737

297

85+

308

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,559	21.3%
18 and over	20,511	78.7%
65 and over	5,416	20.8%
Median age	43.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 61.3%

Black or African American 21.8%

Two or more races 8%

Hispanic or Latino 4.3%

Other race 3.2%

Asian 1.3%

Group	Count	%
White	16,703	61.3%
Black or African American	5,946	21.8%
Two or more races	2,185	8%
Hispanic or Latino	1,175	4.3%
Other race	874	3.2%
Asian	351	1.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.3%	38.6%	36.1%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	32.5%	31.6%
$100k – $200k	25.9%	22.6%	24.7%
Over $200k	2.7%	6.3%	7.6%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 4.6%

$15k–$25k 7.9%

$25k–$35k 9.0%

$35k–$50k 13.7%

$50k–$75k 17.0%

$75k–$100k 11.5%

$100k–$150k 17.9%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

$200k+ 5.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	4.6%
$15k–$25k	7.9%
$25k–$35k	9.0%
$35k–$50k	13.7%
$50k–$75k	17.0%
$75k–$100k	11.5%
$100k–$150k	17.9%
$150k–$200k	6.7%
$200k+	5.5%
Median income	$61,849

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.3%

$50k–$100k 4.0%

$100k–$150k 10.2%

$150k–$200k 13.5%

$200k–$300k 37.2%

$300k–$500k 21.6%

$500k–$1M 4.9%

$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$241,100
Median rent / month	$1,044
Owner occupied	74.5%
Renter occupied	25.5%
Vacant	6.4%
Single-family detached	69.9%
Large apartment buildings	2.4%
Mobile homes	12.9%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.63

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	11.2%
2000–2009	18.1%
1990–1999	15.2%
1980–1989	14.5%
1970–1979	12.7%
1960–1969	11.4%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	3.8%
1939 or earlier	7.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	6.7%
2 bedrooms	22.1%
3 bedrooms	54.6%
4 bedrooms	13.6%
5+ bedrooms	2.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.5%
1 vehicle	29.8%
2 vehicles	33.6%
3 or more	30.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	13.4%
Electricity	58.9%
Propane / LP gas	12.1%
Fuel oil	12.5%
Wood	1.6%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,965	49.5%
Cohabiting couple	729	7.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,478	14.7%
Female householder, no spouse	2,868	28.6%
Households with children under 18	3,131	31.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,896	38.8%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.6%	29.0%
Married	51.5%	46.8%
Separated	1.1%	1.7%
Widowed	2.2%	9.3%
Divorced	10.7%	13.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.5%

Some HS, no diploma 9.9%

HS graduate 32.8%

Some college, no degree 25.2%

Associate's degree 10.0%

Bachelor's degree 12.0%

Graduate / professional 6.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.6%
Bachelor's or higher	18.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	312	5.8%
Kindergarten	494	9.1%
Elementary school	2,223	41.0%
High school	1,268	23.4%
College / grad school	1,120	20.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.2%

Retail trade 14.6%

Manufacturing 12.2%

Transportation & utilities 8.8%

Professional & management 8.7%

Construction 7.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.1%

Other services 5.9%

Finance & real estate 4.5%

Public administration 4.3%

Agriculture & mining 3.1%

Wholesale trade 1.8%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.6%
Service	20.3%
Sales & office	20.2%
Natural resources & construction	9.9%
Production & transportation	18.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.7%
Government	12.3%
Self-employed	6.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.0%
Carpool	11.4%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	6.9%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.2

Poverty

All people 16.8%

Under 18 years 20.7%

18 and over 15.7%

Married-couple families 7.5%

Female-led households 18.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.2%
Retirement income	29.8%
Supplemental Security	6.7%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.7%
High blood pressure	38.1%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	7.8%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	26.4%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.8%
Binge drinking	13.0%
No physical activity	30.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.3%
Depression	16.8%
Fair or poor health	17.0%
Poor mental health	14.2%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	18.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.9%
Visited dentist	52.3%
Cholesterol screening	89.7%
Teeth loss	17.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,681	8.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.4%
Under 18	4.8%
18–64 years	9.6%
65 and over	33.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.8%
Public insurance	48.6%
No insurance	6.6%
Uninsured under 19	1.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	24,450	93.8%
Spanish	1,488	6.1%
Other Indo-European	747	3.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	642	2.6%
Other languages	99	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	24,084	92.4%
Born in same state	23,814	91.3%
Born in different state	12,536	48.1%
Foreign born	270	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	1,986	7.6%
Not a US citizen	1,084	54.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,520	13.5%
French	3,337	12.8%
Arab	1,801	6.9%
English	340	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	110	0.4%
German	86	0.3%
Polish	80	0.3%
Norwegian	42	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.5%
Internet access	93.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19973

What city is ZIP code 19973 in?

ZIP code 19973 is primarily assigned to Seaford, Delaware.

What county is ZIP code 19973 in?

ZIP code 19973 falls within Sussex County, Delaware.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 19973?

17% of residents in ZIP code 19973 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 19973 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 19973 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 19973?

ZIP code 19973 has an estimated population of 26,070 residents, with a density of 310 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 19973?

The median household income in ZIP code 19973 is $61,849, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 19973 in?

ZIP code 19973 observes the EST timezone.