ZIP Code 19944 — Fenwick Island town, DE Demographics & Data

ZIP code 19944 covers Fenwick Island, DE in Sussex County with a population of about 652.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 71.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 302; U.S. House district DE-00; the SALISBURY media market.

Fenwick Island, DE fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (64.6%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 19944 is about $103,125 — about 37% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 2.6%; unemployment rate near 1.3%; 50.2% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 16.5 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Professional services, and Real estate; about 20.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 5.0 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $1,160,100 — about 233% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 88.6% (about 23.2 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 19944 in Fenwick Island, DE, a household would need roughly $319,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $7,452. That is about 209% above the local median household income ($103,125), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Fenwick Island town, DE as Relatively Moderate (composite score 94.1), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (97.2) and flood (92.8). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Fenwick Island town, DE show little to no average snow and around 42.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 30 for ZIP 19944 (Fenwick Island town, DE) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.