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2022-07-14 17 15 33 View north along Delaware State Route 1 (Coastal Highway) at Fenwick Avenue just south of Fenwick Island in Sussex County, DelawarePhoto: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Fenwick Island · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Fenwick Island residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Fenwick Island, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fenwick Island. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Fenwick Island

Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Fenwick Island

1 in 6 adults have had cancer (17.4%), about twice the Delaware rate. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (10.4%), vs 6.9% across Delaware. Arthritis is also above the state: 39.2%, vs 28.4% across Delaware. In all, Fenwick Island runs above Delaware on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 57% of residents are 65 or older (Delaware 21%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Fenwick Island keeps up with checkups

It beats Delaware on five of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (87.7% vs 80.9%) and dentist visits (79% vs 63.1%). Checkups ↓

Fenwick Island adults report less loneliness

Loneliness (24.9% vs 31.7%), frequent mental distress (9.8% vs 15.4%), lack of emotional support (15.1% vs 21.6%) and depression (17.6% vs 21.1%) all run below Delaware. Mind & connection ↓

Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Delaware figure falls outside Fenwick Island’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Fenwick Island adults…

Fenwick Island runs below DE on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.

17 of every 100 Fenwick Island adults have had cancer
Delaware: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 15.8–19.1%
Better than DEWorseAbout the sameDelaware
Why age matters here

Fenwick Island is an older town: 57% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Delaware. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Fenwick Island as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Fenwick Island57%
Delaware21%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Fenwick Island adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Delaware.

88%Yearly checkupDE 81%
79%Dentist visitDE 63%
94%Cholesterol checkDE 88%
80%Colon screeningDE 67%
83%MammogramDE 79%
88%Taking BP medsDE 78%
1 in 19
working-age adults has no health insurance
Fenwick Island 5.2% · Delaware 1 in 11 (9%)
Mind & connection

How Fenwick Island adults are doing

On 4 of 4 measures, Fenwick Island does better than Delaware.

1 in 4Fenwick Island adults feel lonely
24.9% · DE 31.7% · Better than DE
1 in 7Fenwick Island adults lack social or emotional support
15.1% · DE 21.6% · Better than DE
1 in 6Fenwick Island adults have been diagnosed with depression
17.6% · DE 21.1% · Better than DE
1 in 10Fenwick Island adults are in frequent mental distress
9.8% · DE 15.4% · Better than DE
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 4 Fenwick Island adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Getting care

Care in and near Fenwick Island

No hospital or community health center in Fenwick Island itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERAtlantic General HospitalBerlin · 12 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAtlantic General Hospital★★★★★ · 12.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careThree Lower Counties Community ServicesBerlin · 11.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11.7 mi
Three Lower Counties Community Services
7 sites · nearest in Berlin
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
12 mi
Atlantic General Hospital
Berlin · ★★★★★
ER
21.9 mi
Beebe Medical Center
Lewes · ★★★★★
ER
25.1 mi
La Red Health Center Main Campus
Georgetown · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
30.2 mi
Tidalhealth Peninsula Regional
Salisbury · ★★★★★
ER
32.3 mi
Tidalhealth Nanticoke
Seaford · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Fenwick Island itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Fenwick Island itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Fenwick Island itself

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Fenwick Island; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Delaware

Share of adults, with the Delaware figure marked.

Get no exercise 22.3%DE 27.2%
Sleep under 7 hours 23.2%DE 35.7%
Binge drink 10.6%DE 14.2%
Smoke cigarettes 8.6%DE 12.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Fenwick Island, betterFenwick Island, worseAbout the sameDelaware
Where Fenwick Island gets moving

1.3 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 19
Fenwick Island adults worry about having enough food
5.3% · DE 13.9%
Better than DE
1 in 26
Fenwick Island adults worry about keeping their housing
3.8% · DE 11.6%
Better than DE
1 in 40
Fenwick Island adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
2.5% · DE 7.4%
Better than DE
1 in 30
Fenwick Island adults lack reliable transportation
3.3% · DE 7.7%
Better than DE

3.8% of Fenwick Island adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Delaware.

Around town

Fenwick Island and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

29.7%

of Fenwick Island adults live with a disability (Delaware 30.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.3%
Thinking or memory8.4%
Hearing10.9%
Errands alone6.2%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.1%
Delaware

Questions about health in Fenwick Island

Why doesn’t Fenwick Island have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Fenwick Island.

What hospital is closest to Fenwick Island?

Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, 12.0 miles in a straight line from Fenwick Island’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Fenwick Island.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Delaware figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.