Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
No town among the 38 in Delaware we compare has a lower typical July afternoon high than Fenwick Island. Fenwick Island’s concentration of trails is 2.6 miles per square mile, above both the Delaware town median (0.4) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Fenwick Island Lighthouse Station is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fenwick Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Coastal flooding makes up 65% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Census counts: 48 in 1960, 343 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 7 maps from 1901 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fenwick Island. Close and well known come first.
10 mi National SeashoreAssateague Island National Seashore2.3M visitors a year7 mi Theme parkJolly Roger Amusement Park
39 mi Theme parkMorey's Piers
30 mi MuseumUSCGC Tamaroa
22 mi LandmarkFort Miles
10 mi Theme parkTrimper's RidesAssateague Island National Seashore: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Morey's Piers: Smallbones, CC0 · USCGC Tamaroa: Unknown USCG member, Public domain · Fort Miles: Unknown, Public domain · Trimper's Rides: Mttbme, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fenwick Island, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Fenwick Island.
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 6.1% in value. The share of households in Fenwick Island who are owner-occupiers: 95%. In Fenwick Island, the midpoint rent is $1,438 a month.
| Fenwick Island | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 95% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,438 a month | $1,438 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
65% of Fenwick Island’s expected losses from natural hazards come from coastal flooding, followed by inland flooding at 21%. This Delaware town has had 286 paid flood insurance claims since 1984. Federal aid has come to Fenwick Island households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2012.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Fenwick Island brings mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 30° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For Fenwick Island, the mean commuting time is 29 minutes. Since 2013, Fenwick Island has added 57 jobs, to 129 in 2023. Among residents here, 3% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Dover (6%), Ocean City (5%) and Salisbury (5%).
| Fenwick Island | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $113,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 8.2% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. 12 crimes were reported in Fenwick Island in 2025: 7 property and 5 violent.
Fenwick Island is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
For adults in Fenwick Island, the share who have diabetes is 13%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Fenwick Island is ahead of Delaware on 21 and behind on 5. No town among the 38 in Delaware we compare has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Fenwick Island. Among adults here, 23% sleep under 7 hours and 25% feel lonely.
| Fenwick Island | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 37% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 88% | 81% | 79% |
| What stands out | Fenwick Island | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 3.8% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 2.5% | 7.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 17.4% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Among 35 Delaware towns, just one has a lower share of conserved land than Fenwick Island. Walkers can cover 1.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fenwick Island State Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Fenwick Island; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Fenwick Island residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Delaware.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Town in Delaware, United States
Fenwick Island is a coastal resort town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2020 census figures, the population of the town is 355, a 2.6% decrease over the last decade. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland–Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is located on Fenwick Island, a barrier spit. Fenwick Island and its neighbors to the north, Bethany Beach and South Bethany, are popularly known as "The Quiet Resorts." This is in contrast to the wild atmosphere of Dewey Beach and the cosmopolitan bustle of Rehoboth Beach. Fenwick Island, however, is somewhat less "quiet" than "the Bethanies" because it is immediately across the state line from Ocean City, Maryland, w…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fenwick Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
