Abbott's Mill · Photo: Smallbones · CC0Living in Houston, DE: what to set up and who to call
Every home in Houston is in ZIP code 19954. For emergencies, Houston is closest to Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus, 7.8 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Houston, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Houston.
Power comes from Delmarva Power
Delmarva Power (Delmarva Power), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Houston. Its homes paid an average of 18.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $162 a month (its average across Delaware, for customers on its standard service). Delaware lets you buy power from another supplier; 9% of Delmarva Power’s home customers do, and Delmarva Power still delivers it.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Deer Meadows water system
The Deer Meadows water system supplies Houston: about 6% of residents live in its service area. About 94% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 534 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Jun 2023, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. DE00A0787.
4 home internet providers serve Houston
100% of 176 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 100% | 1,200/35 |
| Bloosurf | Fixed wireless | 100% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 69% | 300/20 |
| BridgeMAXX Suncoast Broadband | Fixed wireless | 20% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Houston’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Houston.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Houston is in Milford School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Houston is in ZIP code 19954
ZIP codes where Houston residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Houston | ZIP’s residents in Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19954 | Houston, DE | 100% | 23% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Houston
Who supplies Houston’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Deer Meadows water system (EPA ID DE00A0787). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Jun 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Houston?
Delmarva Power (Delmarva Power), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 18.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Houston?
Xfinity, Bloosurf, Verizon, BridgeMAXX Suncoast Broadband (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Houston?
19954. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Houston in?
Milford School District.
How do I register to vote in Houston?
In 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). Elections here are run by the Department of Elections - Kent County Office. Check your registration at ivote.de.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.