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Neighborhood Profile

ZIP Code 19970 — Ocean View, DE

A snapshot of the people, housing, and geography behind the postal code 19970. A small-town or low-density suburban ZIP in Sussex, Delaware.

Population
7,639
Median income
$88,739
Median home value
$450,300
Median rent
$1,463/mo

About ZIP 19970

ZIP code 19970 serves Ocean View in Sussex, Delaware. It centers near 38.5617°, -75.0966° and, by population, qualifies as a small-town or low-density suburban ZIP. Roughly 7,639 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $88,739 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $450,300, and asking rents on the open market sit around $1,463 per month. Compared to the rest of Delaware, that makes 19970 significantly more expensive than typical for the state. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $52,114 and a median home value of $214,452.

The median resident is around 63.1 years old, and roughly 21.0% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 0.5% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 19970, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $450,300 and a typical rental runs $1,463 a month. Translate that into your own budget:

  • At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $2,397 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
  • Renting the median unit at $1,463/mo costs roughly $17,556 per year, or about 19.8% of the local median household income.
  • For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$235,848 versus the state average of $214,452) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 63.1 and a population of 7,639, ZIP 19970 reads as an older-skewing area, often retirement-oriented or in a slower-growth region.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 38.5617, -75.0966. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

19967 Millville, DE 19930 Bethany Beach, DE 19944 Fenwick Island, DE 19945 Frankford, DE 19975 Selbyville, DE 19939 Dagsboro, DE 21813 Bishopville, MD 19971 Rehoboth Beach, DE

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Ocean View or browse the rest of Delaware.