Home Insurance in Sussex County, Delaware
With a median home value of $382,600, Sussex County is 9% higher than the Delaware median.
Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. The typical home in Sussex County was built around 1999. About 9% of homes were built before 1960, about 11 points below Delaware's 21%.
The housing stock in Sussex County is 75% single-family homes, 9% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 13% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
In Sussex County, about 56% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
The vacancy rate is 30%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 82% of occupied homes in Sussex County are owner-occupied.
Most homes in Sussex County - 53% - are primarily heated with electricity. Homes heated with propane and fuel oil can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
FEMA's National Risk Index lists coastal flooding (Very High), hurricane (Relatively High) and winter weather (Very High) as the leading hazards for Sussex County.
As of September 2026, Sussex County has 21,528 active NFIP flood insurance policies. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Delaware carries a statewide average premium of $1,196 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $382,600 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Owner-occupied share | 82% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 56% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Coastal Flooding (Very High), Hurricane (Relatively High), Winter Weather (Very High) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 21,528 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,196 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
- Bethany Beach
- Bethel
- Blades
- Bridgeville
- Dagsboro
- Delmar
- Dewey Beach
- Ellendale
- Fenwick Island
- Frankford
- Georgetown
- Henlopen Acres
- Laurel
- Lewes
- Millsboro
- Millville
- Milton
- Ocean View
- Rehoboth Beach
- Seaford
- Selbyville
- Slaughter Beach
- South Bethany
Smaller communities
-
Greenwood
- Median home value: $252,200
- Median year built: 1985
- Owner-occupied share: 44%
-
Milford
- Median home value: $296,900
- Median year built: 1991
- Owner-occupied share: 51%
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)