Sunrise on the beach, 2005
Dewey Beach’s story
45 years in pictures
Census counts: 204 in 1990, 353 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 7 maps from 1918 on.
- 1981Dewey Beach is settled
Dewey BeachDE
A town of 416, settled in 1981.
Photo: Kej605 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
416
2025 Census estimate · +16.2% since 2020
Typical home
$1.19M
+12.8% in a year
Household income
$106K
median
Median age
63.3
years
Jobs based here
355
A job hub
Is Dewey Beach a good place to live?
40% of residents are 65 or older in Dewey Beach, above both the Delaware town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Of the 25 Delaware towns we compare, none has a higher typical home value than Dewey Beach. Dewey Beach’s trail density is 6.0 miles per square mile, above both Delaware’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). Dewey Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Dewey Beach stand out
Where Dewey Beach beats most towns.
By the sea
Dewey Beach lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 33% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
33%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
205paid flood-insurance claims since 1984
3storm & flood disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dewey Beach: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dewey Beach, and how to reach them.
PowerDelmarva Power18.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDewey Beach Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dewey Beach’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Delaware you can register online until 24 days before Election Day, in person until 24 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 24 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDepartment of Elections - Sussex County OfficeSussex County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2019
ZIP code1997119971 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dewey Beach.
Housing
Dewey Beach’s typical home value is about $1.19M
The typical Dewey Beach home is worth about $1,190,000, up 12.8% in a year, 3 times the Delaware typical home. 88% of Dewey Beach households own their home. Typical home values rose 13% in the year to September 2026.
$1.19MZillow home value
Typical home value
Dewey Beach$1.19M
Delaware$405K
+12.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With 2.8 jobs for every working resident, Dewey Beach draws in 348 commuters
Most working residents leave Dewey Beach for work: only 5% work in town. Dewey Beach’s median household income is $106,000. Jobs based in Dewey Beach grew to 355 in 2023, 181 more than in 2013.
5%work in town
| Dewey Beach | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Dewey Beach5%
Rehoboth Beach15%
Lewes10%
Dover3%
Camden2%
7 mi
median commute distance
355
jobs based in Dewey Beach
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Dewey Beach stands out in Delaware and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
The FEMA risk score in Dewey Beach is 70 of 100. Since 1984, 205 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dewey Beach.
70risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCoastal floodingHurricanes
205
paid flood claims since 1984
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Dewey Beach
Dewey Beach has mild winters and warm summers. No town among the 38 in Delaware we compare has a lower July high than Dewey Beach.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–47°
Spring45–63°
Summer67–84°
Fall51–68°
Nov 14
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
Dewey Beach has set aside 11.9% of its land for conservation
1.8 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
11.9%conserved
11.9%
conserved · 25 of 211 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Safety
Crime reported in Dewey Beach
29 crimes were reported in Dewey Beach in 2025: 22 property and 7 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Dewey Beach is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
22
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
Compared with most of Delaware and the rest of the country, fewer of Dewey Beach’s adults report frequent mental distress
11% of adults report frequent mental distress in Dewey Beach. No town among the 38 in Delaware we compare has a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Dewey Beach. 12% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Dewey Beach.
| Dewey Beach | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 37% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 81% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Delaware
21 better8 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Dewey Beach | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.3% | 11.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.1% | 9.1% |
Beebe Medical Center
6.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →Fort Miles and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dewey Beach. Close and well known come first.
6 mi LandmarkFort Miles
25 mi Theme parkMorey's Piers
in town Theme parkFunland (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware)
26 mi National SeashoreAssateague Island National Seashore2.3M visitors a year
33 mi MuseumUSCGC Tamaroa23 mi Theme parkJolly Roger Amusement ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fort Miles: Unknown, Public domain · Morey's Piers: Smallbones, CC0 · Funland (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware): Tsole, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Assateague Island National Seashore: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5 · USCGC Tamaroa: Unknown USCG member, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dewey Beach
18pages on Dewey Beach
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dewey Beach; the nearest are
Wor-Wic Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Salisbury, MD32 mi$3,840 in-state tuitionSalisbury UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Salisbury, MD37.4 mi$11,084 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Dewey Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Delaware.
Small town
416 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Dewey Beach
Town in Delaware, United States
Dewey Beach is an incorporated coastal town in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. As of the 2020 census, Dewey Beach had a population of 353. It is part of the rapidly growing Cape Region and lies within the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2011, the NRDC awarded Dewey Beach with a 5-Star rating in water quality. This award was given only to 12 other locations, one being neighboring Rehoboth Beach. Out of the 30 states with coastline, the Delaware Beaches ranked number 1 in water quality in 2011.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1981
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- Area code
- 302
Questions about Dewey Beach
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dewey Beach, DE a good place to live?
Dewey Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.