ZIP Code 19956 — Laurel town, DE Demographics & Data

ZIP code 19956 covers Laurel, DE in Sussex County with a population of about 16,274.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 36.5 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.

Median household income in ZIP 19956 is about $59,085 — about 21% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 18.8%; unemployment rate near 5.0%; 15.7% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 18.0 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Retail trade; about 3.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.3 points below 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 $233,500 — about 33% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $797 (about 31% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 65.7% (roughly in line with the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 19956 in Laurel, DE, a household would need roughly $64,000 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 $1,500. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($59,085). 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 Laurel 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 Laurel town, DE show little to no average snow and around 49.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 757 for ZIP 19956 (Laurel 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.