Sussex County, Delaware
Encyclopedia
Sussex County is a county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...

 located in the southern part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Georgetown
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...

. The Seaford
Seaford, Delaware
Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...

 Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.

Sussex County is Delaware's largest county by land area, with 938 square miles (2,429 km²). The first European settlement in the state of Delaware was founded in 1631 near the present-day town of Lewes. However, Sussex County was not organized until 1683.

Beginnings

Archaeologists estimate that the first inhabitants of Sussex County, the southernmost county in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

, arrived between 10,000 and 14,000 years ago. Native Americans in Sussex County called themselves by the various tribal names of the Algonquin Nation. The most prominent tribes in the area were the Leni Lenape and Nanticoke
Nanticoke Indian Tribe
The Nanticoke people are an indigenous American Algonquian people, whose traditional homelands are in Chesapeake Bay and Delaware. Today they live in the northeast United States, especially Delaware; in Canada; and in Oklahoma.-History:...

 tribes. The people settled along the numerous bodies of water in the area where they were able to harvest fish, oysters, and other shellfish in the fall and winter. In the warmer months they planted crops, and hunted deer and other small mammals as larger game was not present in the area.

European Discovery

There is no universally agreed upon group known to be the first to settle in Sussex County. In the early years of exploration, from 1593 to 1630, many feel the Spanish or Portuguese were probably the first Europeans to see the Delaware River and the lands of present day Sussex County.

Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...

, on his expedition for the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...

, discovered the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

 in 1609. Attempting to following him, Samuel Argall
Samuel Argall
Sir Samuel Argall was an English adventurer and naval officer.As a sea captain, in 1609, Argall was the first to determine a shorter northern route from England across the Atlantic Ocean to the new English colony of Virginia, based at Jamestown, and made numerous voyages to the New World...

, an English explorer, was blown off course in 1610 and landed in a strange bay that he named after the Governor of Virginia, Thomas West, Lord De La Warr.

In the first half of 1613, Cornelius Jacobsen Mey
Cornelius Jacobsen Mey
Cornelis Jacobszoon May , was a Dutch explorer, captain and fur trader, and namesake of Cape May, Cape May County, and the city of Cape May, New Jersey, so named first in 1620.-Family:...

, a Dutch navigator, discovered and named both Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...

 and Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, Delaware...

, (originally Hindlopen) in the Delaware Bay. Later it was found that what May had named Henlopen, was actually Fenwick Island protruding into the Atlantic Ocean, and the name of the cape was moved to its present location just east of Lewes.

European Settlement

Sussex County was the site of the first European settlement in Delaware, a trading post named Zwaanendael at the present site of Lewes
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....

. On June 3, 1631, Dutch captain David Pietersen de Vries
David Pietersen de Vries
Captain David Pieterszoon de Vries was a Dutch navigator from Hoorn, Holland.In 1617 de Vries went on a whaling voyage to Jan Mayen. In 1620 he sailed to Newfoundland and sold the dried fish in Italy. In Toulon he joined Charles, Duke of Guise. In 1624 he went to Canada again, still in French...

 landed along the shores of the Delaware to establish a whaling colony in the mid-Atlantic of the New World. The colony only lasted until 1632, when De Vries left. Upon returning to Zwaanendael that December, he found the Indian tribes had killed his men and burned the colony. The Dutch then set about settling the area once again.

The original boundaries were undefined with boundary disputes between the family of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...

, who claimed the county extended to Fenwick Island
Fenwick Island, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 342 people, 178 households, and 126 families residing in the town. The population density was 994.5 people per square mile . There were 666 housing units at an average density of 1,936.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 99.42% White, and 0.58%...

, and Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, 3rd Proprietor and 17th Proprietary Governor of Maryland, FRS was a British nobleman and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland...

, who claimed the county ended at Lewes with all the land south of that belonging to Somerset County
Somerset County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

. Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 both claimed the land between the 39th and 40th parallels according to the charters granted to each colony. The 'Three Lower Counties' (Delaware) along Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...

 moved into the Penn sphere of settlement, and later became the Delaware Colony
Delaware Colony
Delaware Colony in the North American Middle Colonies was a region of the Province of Pennsylvania although never legally a separate colony. From 1682 until 1776 it was part of the Penn proprietorship and was known as the lower counties...

, a satellite of Pennsylvania.

In 1732 the proprietary governor of Maryland, Charles Calvert, signed an agreement with William Penn's sons which drew a line somewhere in between, and also renounced the Calvert claim to Delaware. But later Lord Baltimore claimed that the document he signed did not contain the terms he had agreed to, and refused to put the agreement into effect. Beginning in the mid-1730s, violence erupted between settlers claiming various loyalties to Maryland and Pennsylvania. The border conflict between Pennsylvania and Maryland would be known as Cresap's War
Cresap's War
Cresap's War was a border conflict between Pennsylvania and Maryland, fought in the 1730s...

.

The issue was unresolved until the Crown intervened in 1760, ordering Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, 4th Proprietor of Maryland was an English nobleman and last in the line of Barons Baltimore...

 to accept the 1732 agreement. As part of the settlement, the Penns and Calverts commissioned the English team of Charles Mason
Charles Mason
Charles Mason was an English astronomer who made significant contributions to 18th-century science and American history, particularly through his involvement with the survey of the Mason-Dixon line, which came to mark the division between the northern and southern United States...

 and Jeremiah Dixon
Jeremiah Dixon
Jeremiah Dixon was an English surveyor and astronomer who is perhaps best known for his work with Charles Mason, from 1763 to 1767, in determining what was later called the Mason-Dixon line....

 to survey the newly established boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, Delaware Colony and parts of Colony and Old Dominion of Virginia.

Between 1763 and 1767, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the Mason-Dixon line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...

 settling Sussex County's western and southern borders. After Pennsylvania abolished slavery in 1781, the western part of this line and the Ohio River became a border between free and slave states, although Delaware remained a slave state.

In 1769 there was a movement started to move the county seat from Lewes to the area then known as Cross Roads, the present day site of Milton
Milton, Delaware
Milton is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. The population was 2,576 at the 2010 census, an increase of 55.5% over the previous decade. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware Micropolitan Statistical Area. Delaware Route 5 passes through Milton.- History :Located at the head of...

. The current county seat of Georgetown
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...

 was settled upon on January 27, 1791 after residents in western Sussex County successfully petitioned the Delaware General Assembly to move the county seat to a central location as roads at the time made it too difficult to reach the county seat in Lewes. Georgetown was not a previously established town and on May 9, 1791, the 10 commissioners headed by President of the State Senate George Mitchell negotiated the purchase of 76 acres (307,561.4 m²) and Commissioner Rhodes Shankland began the survey by laying out "a spacious square of 100 yards (91.4 m) each way." Eventually the Town was laid out in a circle one mile (1.6 km) across, centered on the original square surveyed by Shankland and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Georgetown was named after Senate President George Mitchell.

Sussex County has been known by several names over the years including Susan County, Hoorenkill or Whorekill County as named by the Dutch prior to 1680 when Kent County
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...

 broke off, Deale County from 1680 to 1682 after being taken over by the British under James Stuart, Duke of York prior to signing over to William Penn, and Durham County when claimed by the Lords Baltimore during the boundary dispute with the Penn family.

Law and government

Sussex county's government is composed of an elected legislature and various elective executive heads of departments.

The county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...

 has five members; all are elected in and for specific geographic subdivisions for four years. This forms the legislative authority of the county, which then chooses a "County Administrator" or executive.

The current county council members are Council President Michael H. Vincent, Vice President Samuel R. Wilson, Vance Phillips, George Cole, and Joan Deaver.

The additional offices of Clerk of the Peace
Clerk of the Peace
A clerk of the peace held an office in England and Wales whose responsibility was the records of the Quarter Sessions and the framing of presentments and indictments. They had legal training, so that they could advise justices of the peace.-England and Wales:...

, Register of Deeds, Register of Wills and Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

 are elected at large. These positions are held by George Parish, Scott Dailey, Cynthia Green, and Jeffrey Christopher, respectively.

Public Schools

Sussex County is served by eight public school districts.
  • Cape Henlopen School District
  • Delmar School District
  • Indian River School District
  • Laurel School District
  • Milford School District (also serves Kent County)
  • Seaford School District
    Seaford School District
    Seaford School District is a public school district situated in Sussex County in southern Delaware. The district encompasses a six-mile radius from the center of Seaford and serves more than 3,400 students residing within the towns of Seaford and Blades and their outlying neighborhoods.-Secondary...

  • Sussex Technical School District (County-wide overlay school district)
  • Woodbridge School District


The county also contains one charter school, the Sussex Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Those state funded public high schools which participate in sporting events are members of the Henlopen Conference
Henlopen Conference
The Henlopen Conference is a high school sports conference comprising public schools in Kent County and Sussex County in lower Delaware. The teams participate in a variety of sports including football, boys and girls soccer, track and field, cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls...

.

Private Schools

There are several private schools in Sussex County. The schools include Bible Center Christian Academy (Laurel), Children Craft CO (Seaford), Christian Tabernacle Academy (Lincoln), Destiny Christian School (Georgetown), Eagle's Nest Christian School (Milton), Epworth Christian School (Laurel), Greenwood Mennonite School (Greenwood), Harbor Christian Academy (Ellendale), The Jefferson School (Georgetown), Jesus Is Lord Christian Academy (Georgetown), Lighthouse Christian School (Dagsboro), Lighted Pathway Christian Academy (Seaford), Milford Christian School (Milford) and Seaford Christian Academy (Seaford).

Secondary Schools

There are also several secondary schools in Sussex County. Delaware Technical & Community College
Delaware Technical & Community College
Delaware Technical & Community College is the community college system in the state of Delaware with locations in four cities. It was created by the Delaware General Assembly in 1966 by House Bill 529. The college is fully accredited and several curricula have been accredited by various...

 has the largest presence in the county, but students can also attend Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Delaware State University , is an American historically black, public university located in Dover, Delaware, and there are two satellite campuses located in Wilmington, Delaware, and Georgetown, Delaware...

, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey–Beacom College is a private, non-profit, coeducational college in Pike Creek Valley, a suburb of Wilmington, Delaware, United States. It offers degrees in economics, psychology, computer information systems, and business. The college was founded in 1886.-About the school:Goldey–Beacom...

, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...

, Wesley College all in Georgetown, the Philadelphia Bible College in Ellendale, and the Beebe Hospital School of Nursing in Lewes. The University of Delaware also maintains a marine science campus in Lewes.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1195.65 square miles (3,096.7 km²), of which 937.58 square miles (2,428.3 km²) (or 78.42%) is land and 258.07 square miles (668.4 km²) (or 21.58%) is water.

The eastern portion of the county is home to most of Delaware's beaches and many seaside resorts. The western side of the county is center of Delaware's agriculture industry with more acres of arable land under cultivation than anywhere else in the state.

Adjacent Counties

  • Kent County, Delaware
    Kent County, Delaware
    Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...

     - north
  • Cape May County, New Jersey
    Cape May County, New Jersey
    -Climate:Being the southernmost point in New Jersey, Cape May has fairly mild wintertime temperatures. Contrary to that, the summertime has lower temperatures than most places in the state, making the county a popular place to escape the heat. It is in zone 7a/7b, which is the same as parts of...

     - northeast¹
  • Worcester County, Maryland
    Worcester County, Maryland
    -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*82.0% White*13.6% Black*0.3% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*3.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

     - south
  • Dorchester County, Maryland
    Dorchester County, Maryland
    Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...

     - southwest
  • Wicomico County, Maryland
    Wicomico County, Maryland
    As of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile...

     - southwest
  • Caroline County, Maryland
    Caroline County, Maryland
    Caroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...

     - northwest


¹ across Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...

; no land border

Major highways

There are three major north-south highways in Sussex County:
  • US Route 13
    U.S. Route 13
    U.S. Route 13 is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. In all, it traverses five states in the Atlantic coastal plain region,...

     in the west
  • US Route 113 in the middle
  • State Route 1
    State Route 1 (Delaware)
    Delaware Route 1 is a , four- to six-lane highway going from the Maryland–Delaware line on the eastern Atlantic shoreline to the Delaware Turnpike outside of Wilmington....

     along the coast


In addition, Sussex has a number of east-west thoroughfares, the primary being U.S. Route 9
U.S. Route 9
U.S. Route 9 is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the United States. It is one of only two U.S. highways with a ferry connection ; the other being US 10. US 9 is signed east–west in Delaware and north–south on the rest of...

. State Routes 16, 18
Delaware Route 18
Delaware Route 18 is a state highway located in Sussex County, Delaware. It runs from Maryland Route 318 at the Maryland border east of Federalsburg, Maryland to U.S. Route 9 in Georgetown, Delaware...

, 20
Delaware Route 20
Delaware Route 20 is an east–west highway in Sussex County, Delaware. Its western terminus is the Maryland state line just west of Seaford where it continues as Maryland Route 392. Its eastern terminus is Delaware Route 54 west of Fenwick Island. The route passes through the towns of...

, 24
Delaware Route 24
Delaware Route 24 is a state highway located in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs east from Maryland Route 348 at the Maryland border east of Sharptown, Maryland to an intersection with Delaware Route 1 in Midway, between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. Along the way, DE 24 passes through Laurel,...

, 30
Delaware Route 30
Delaware Route 30 is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs from an intersection with Bi-State Boulevard a short distance west of U.S. Route 13 between Laurel and Delmar to Delaware Route 1 Business southeast of Milford in the area of Lincoln City and Cedar Creek. The road runs...

, 54 and 404 also service the area, providing alternatives east-west routes to most municipalities in the county.

Economy

The average home and property price in Sussex County increased 250% in the ten years between 1995 and 2005. Local increases within Sussex County for this period include a 381% increase for Millsboro
Millsboro, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 1,045 households, and 619 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,367.9 people per square mile . There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 668.3 per square mile...

 and a 609% increase for Millville
Millville, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 259 people, 111 households, and 71 families residing in the town. The population density was 534.1 people per square mile . There were 141 housing units at an average density of 290.8 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 96.91% White, 1.93%...

. Sussex County is served by the Delaware Coast Line Railway, the Maryland & Delaware Railway and the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 156,638 people, 62,577 households, and 43,866 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 167 people per square mile (64/km²). There were 93,070 housing units at an average density of 99 per square mile (38/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.35% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 14.89% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.60% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.75% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 2.02% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.35% from two or more races. 4.41% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race. 14.9% were of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, 14.3% United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 or American (Mostly British), 12.9% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

, 12.5% German and 5.6% Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

 ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.3% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 and 4.3% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 as their first language.

There were 62,577 households out of which 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.50% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,208, and the median income for a family was $45,203. Males had a median income of $30,811 versus $23,625 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $20,328. About 7.70% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.00% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

  • Bethany Beach
    Bethany Beach, Delaware
    Bethany Beach is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the town is 1,060; however, during the summer months some 15,000 more populate the town as vacationers...

  • Bethel
    Bethel, Delaware
    Bethel is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the town is 171. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

  • Blades
    Blades, Delaware
    Blades is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 1,241, a 29.8% increase over the previous decade...

  • Bridgeville
    Bridgeville, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 1,436 people, 570 households, and 381 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,768.6 people per square mile . There were 636 housing units at an average density of 783.3 per square mile...

  • Dagsboro
    Dagsboro, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 519 people, 226 households, and 141 families residing in the town. The population density was 409.5 people per square mile . There were 248 housing units at an average density of 195.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 92.29% White, 6.36%...

  • Delmar
    Delmar, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 1,407 people, 542 households, and 344 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,498.9 people per square mile . There were 595 housing units at an average density of 633.9 per square mile...

     (part of Delmar is in Maryland
    Maryland
    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

    )
  • Dewey Beach
    Dewey Beach, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 301 people, 161 households, and 83 families residing in the town. The population density was 876.6 people per square mile . There were 1,369 housing units at an average density of 3,986.9 per square mile...

  • Ellendale
    Ellendale, Delaware
    Ellendale is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 381 at the 2010 census, an increase of 16.5% since 2000. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware Micropolitan Statistical Area. Ellendale is the "Gateway to Delaware's Resort Beaches" because it is the city located on U.S...

  • Fenwick Island
    Fenwick Island, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 342 people, 178 households, and 126 families residing in the town. The population density was 994.5 people per square mile . There were 666 housing units at an average density of 1,936.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 99.42% White, and 0.58%...

  • Frankford
    Frankford, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 714 people, 227 households, and 172 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,012.7 people per square mile . There were 258 housing units at an average density of 365.9 per square mile...

  • Georgetown
    Georgetown, Delaware
    Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...

  • Greenwood
    Greenwood, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 837 people, 335 households, and 211 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,267.2 people per square mile . There were 394 housing units at an average density of 596.5 per square mile...

  • Henlopen Acres
    Henlopen Acres, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 139 people, 69 households, and 42 families residing in the town. The population density was 544.2 people per square mile . There were 198 housing units at an average density of 775.2 per square mile...

  • Laurel
    Laurel, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 3,668 people, 1,389 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,215.9 people per square mile . There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 943.0 per square mile...

  • Lewes
    Lewes, Delaware
    Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....

  • Milford
    Milford, Delaware
    Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,559....

     (part of Milford is in Kent County
    Kent County, Delaware
    Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...

    )
  • Millsboro
    Millsboro, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 1,045 households, and 619 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,367.9 people per square mile . There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 668.3 per square mile...

  • Millville
    Millville, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 259 people, 111 households, and 71 families residing in the town. The population density was 534.1 people per square mile . There were 141 housing units at an average density of 290.8 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 96.91% White, 1.93%...

  • Milton
    Milton, Delaware
    Milton is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. The population was 2,576 at the 2010 census, an increase of 55.5% over the previous decade. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware Micropolitan Statistical Area. Delaware Route 5 passes through Milton.- History :Located at the head of...

  • Ocean View
    Ocean View, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 1,006 people, 458 households, and 321 families residing in the town. The population density was 495.0 people per square mile . There were 751 housing units at an average density of 369.6 per square mile...

  • Rehoboth Beach
    Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
    Rehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...

  • Seaford
    Seaford, Delaware
    Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...

  • Selbyville
    Selbyville, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 1,645 people, 615 households, and 439 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,176.9 people per square mile . There were 664 housing units at an average density of 475.1 per square mile...

  • Slaughter Beach
    Slaughter Beach, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 198 people, 108 households, and 64 families residing in the town. The population density was 147.9 people per square mile . There were 253 housing units at an average density of 189.0 per square mile...

  • South Bethany
    South Bethany, Delaware
    As of the census of 2000, there were 492 people, 253 households, and 170 families residing in the town. The population density was 948.6 people per square mile . There were 1,137 housing units at an average density of 2,192.1 per square mile...


Non-Incorporated Communities

  • Gumboro
    Gumboro, Delaware
    Gumboro is a small unincorporated community in Sussex County, Delaware, USA. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware Micropolitan Statistical Area....

  • Lincoln
    Lincoln, Delaware
    Lincoln is a small unincorporated community in northern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware Micropolitan Statistical Area. The planner that originally laid out the town planned for it to become the county seat. Lincoln lies on U.S. Route 113 between...

  • Long Neck
    Long Neck, Delaware
    Long Neck is a census-designated place in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,629 at the 2000 census. Long Neck is the only census-designated place in Sussex County...

  • Oak Orchard
    Oak Orchard, Delaware
    Oak Orchard, Delaware is an unincorporated community east of the town of Millsboro in Sussex County. Oak Orchard is bounded to the east by Emily Gut and "the Peninsula," and to the north by Delaware Route 24...


Festivals, Fairs, and Events

Sussex County, Delaware is home to several festivals, fairs, and events. Some of the more notable festivals are the Riverfest held in Seaford, the World Championship Punkin Chunkin held at various locations throughout the county since 1986, the Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival, the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral
Jazz funeral
Jazz funeral is a common name for a funeral tradition with music which developed in New Orleans, Louisiana.The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New Orleans musicians and practitioners of the tradition...

 to mark the end of summer, the Apple Scrapple Festival
Apple Scrapple Festival
The Apple Scrapple Festival is an event held annually during the second weekend in October in Bridgeville, Delaware, a small town in Sussex County. Events start on Thursday with local's night and the Miss/Little Miss Apple Scrapple Pageant held at Woodbridge High School...

 held in Bridgeville, the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, the Sea Witch Halloween Festival and Parade in Rehoboth Beach, the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival the Nanticoke Indian Pow Wow in Oak Orchard, and the Return Day Parade
Return day
Return Day is a biennial unique festival and ceremony held the Thursday after Election Day in Georgetown, Delaware, during which election results are announced.-History:...

 held after elections in even-numbered years in Georgetown.

Newspapers

  • Cape Gazette, Lewes
  • Coastal Point, Ocean View
  • Delaware Coast Press, Rehoboth Beach
  • Delaware Wave, Bethany Beach
    The Delaware Wave
    The Delaware Wave is a Gannett-owned English-language community newspaper based in Bethany Beach, Delaware. The weekly 11-inch by 17-inch tabloid newspaper, published every Wednesday, serves Bethany Beach and the surround area with in depth local coverage. It is one of three Gannett newspapers in...

  • Hoy en Delaware, Georgetown
  • Laurel Star, Laurel
  • Leader & State Register, Seaford
  • Milford Beacon, Milford
  • Milford Chronicle, Milford
  • Seaford Star, Seaford
  • Sussex Countian, Georgetown
  • Sussex Post, Georgetown
  • The Script, Georgetown (published at various times throughout the school year, stories by DelTech students majoring in communications)

Radio Stations

Call sign Frequency City of License Owner Format
WAFL
WAFL (FM)
WAFL is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Milford, Delaware, USA, the station serves the Salisbury-Ocean City area. The station is currently owned by Delmarva Broadcasting Company. The station is also broadcast on HD radio.The station went on the air as...

 
0097.7 FM Milford Delmarva Broadcasting Company Hot Adult Contemporary
WGBG
WGBG
WGBG is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Seaford, Delaware, USA, the station serves the Salisbury-Ocean City area. The station is currently owned by Great Scott Broadcasting. The WGBG broadcast studios currently share facilities with sister station WZBH in...

 
0098.5 FM Seaford Great Scott Broadcasting Classic Rock
WGMD
WGMD
WGMD is a radio station licensed to serve Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The station is owned by Resort Broadcasting Company, LLC. It airs a talk radio format. The station has been assigned these call letters by the Federal Communications Commission since March 30, 1981.WGMD-FM is a commercial "Class...

 
0092.7 FM Rehoboth Beach Resort Broadcasting Co., LLC News Talk Information
WJKI
WJKI
WJKI is a radio station licensed to serve Bethany Beach, Delaware. The station is owned by Great Scott Broadcasting. It airs a Classic rock format. The station has been assigned these call letters by the Federal Communications Commission since December 17, 2004....

 
0103.5 FM Bethany Beach Great Scott Broadcasting Classic Rock
WJWK
WJWK
WJWK is a radio station licensed to serve Seaford, Delaware. The station is owned by Great Scott Broadcasting. It airs an adult hits format....

 
1280 AM Seaford Great Scott Broadcasting Spanish Variety
WJWL
WJWL
WJWL is a radio station licensed to serve Georgetown, Delaware. The station is owned by Great Scott Broadcasting and Hola Media NetworkLLC. It airs a Spanish language music format....

 
0900 AM Georgetown Great Scott Broadcasting Spanish Variety
WKDB
WKDB
WKDB is a radio station broadcasting an Old School R&B format. Licensed to Laurel, Delaware, USA, the station serves the Salisbury-Ocean City Market. The station is currently owned by Great Scott Broadcasting....

 
0095.3 FM Laurel Great Scott Broadcasting Contemporary Hit Radio
WLBW
WLBW
WLBW is a radio station in the Fenwick Island / Ocean City area of Delaware and Maryland and broadcasting at 92.1 MHz. The station plays a Christian music format. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation....

 
0092.1 FM Fenwick Island Clear Channel Communications Oldies
WNCL
WNCL
WNCL is a radio station licensed to serve Milford, Delaware. The station is owned by Delmarva Broadcasting Company. It airs an Classic Hits music format....

 
0101.3 FM Milford Delmarva Broadcasting Company Oldies
WOCM
WOCM
WOCM is an AAA/Rock radio station in the Ocean City area.The radio station's studios are located at the Seacrets bar, restaurant, and nightclub in Ocean City. Both properties are owned by Leighton Moore....

 
0098.1 FM Selbyville Irie Radio, Inc. Album Adult Alternative
WKZP  0095.9 FM Bethany Beach Clear Channel Communications Sports Talk
WRBG-LP
WRBG-LP
WRBG-LP is a radio station licensed to serve Millsboro, Delaware. The station is owned by Rhythm and Blues Group Harmony Association, Inc. It airs a Variety format featuring a diverse mix of religious and secular music, talk shows, and community affairs programs.The station was assigned the...

 
0107.9 FM Millsboro Rhythm and Blues Group Harmonty Association, Inc.
WYUS
WYUS
WYUS is a radio station licensed to serve Milford, Delaware. The station is owned by Delmarva Broadcasting Company. It airs a Spanish language Contemporary Hit Radio music format....

 
0930 AM Milford Delmarva Broadcasting Company Spanish Contemporary
WZBH
WZBH
WZBH is an active rock radio station with studios in Georgetown, Delaware. Its tower is located outside Frankford, Delaware and stands 486 feet...

 
0093.5 FM Georgetown Great Scott Broadcasting Active Rock
WZEB
WZEB
WZEB is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Ocean View, Delaware, USA, the station serves the Salisbury-Ocean City Market. The station is currently owned by Great Scott Broadcasting.- History :...

 
0101.7 FM Ocean View Great Scott Broadcasting Contemporary Hit Radio
WZKT  0105.9 FM Lewes Delmarva Broadcasting Company Country

Television Stations

  • WBOC TV-16, Milton, CBS
    CBS
    CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

     & Fox
    Fox Broadcasting Company
    Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

  • WDPB, Seaford, PBS
  • WRDE-LP, Rehoboth Beach, MyTV and Retro TV (Low-power broadcasting
    Low-power broadcasting
    Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...

     channel)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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