Ocean View, DE · standard
ZIP Code 19970
Sussex County, Delaware - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 6,170
- 246/sq mi High-density area
- $94,103
- Median income Above-median income area
- $526,600
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 48.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Ocean View pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 23%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 12%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 246
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 19970 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 19970 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ocean View, Sussex County, Delaware, home to 6,170 residents across 25.1 square miles, a density of 246 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 19970 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $94,103 (5% above the average Delaware ZIP), while per-capita income is $54,573. The poverty rate is 12.6%, with unemployment at 1.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $526,600 (39% above the average Delaware ZIP), while 91.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,512.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 48.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 63.9, and the average commute is 27 minutes. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Sussex County, so 19970 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 19970
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ocean View, DE
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 19970.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
36 establishments
- Construction
Construction
35 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
22 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
19 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
17 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 19970, Ocean View, DE · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
6,170
Population
25.1
Area (sq mi)
246
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 19970?
63.9
Median Age
43.0%
Male
57.0%
Female
4.4%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$94,103
Median Household Income
+5% vs state ZIP avg
$54,573
Per Capita Income
12.6%
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Unemployment Rate
26.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 19970 ranks among Delaware ZIPs
Ocean View, DE household income vs. every Delaware ZIP code
Median household income among 61 reporting Delaware ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$94,103 Top 36% higher than 64% of 61 Delaware ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Delaware ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
8,567housing units
8,567
Total Housing Units
4,046
Occupied Units
4,521
Vacant Units
2.11
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$526,600
Median Home Value
+39% vs state ZIP avg
$1,512
Median Rent
2004
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+23.9%
YoY Change (2024)
282
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+182%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 19970 have increased 23.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +182% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +6.3% | 191 |
| 2020 | +1.9% | 195 |
| 2021 | +13.6% | 221 |
| 2022 | +23.9% | 274 |
| 2024 | – | 282 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 196 business establishments in ZIP 19970, employing approximately 1,490 people with a combined annual payroll of $55,771,000.
196
Businesses
1,490
Employees
$55.8M
Annual Payroll
11
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 36 | 18.4% |
| Construction | 35 | 17.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 22 | 11.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 19 | 9.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 17 | 8.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 16 | 8.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 15 | 7.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 13 | 6.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 4.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 6 | 3.1% |
| Information | 4 | 2.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 19970 vs 19930 →
ZIP 19970 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 19971
Rehoboth Beach (19971)
12,385 residents
- 19975
Selbyville (19975)
8,253 residents
- 19945
Frankford (19945)
6,862 residents
- 19970
Ocean View (19970)
6,170 residents
- 19939
Dagsboro (19939)
5,979 residents
- 21813 2,852
Bishopville (21813)
2,852 residents
- 19930 2,768
Bethany Beach (19930)
2,768 residents
- 19944 620
Fenwick Island (19944)
620 residents
- 19967 354
Millville (19967)
354 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 19970 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 19970 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 19930
Bethany Beach (19930)
$125,491 median income
- 21813
Bishopville (21813)
$121,472 median income
- 19944
Fenwick Island (19944)
$121,250 median income
- 19971
Rehoboth Beach (19971)
$102,146 median income
- 19967
Millville (19967)
$98,301 median income
- 19970
Ocean View (19970)
$94,103 median income
- 19939
Dagsboro (19939)
$89,806 median income
- 19975
Selbyville (19975)
$88,568 median income
- 19945
Frankford (19945)
$87,638 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 19970 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19930 | Bethany Beach, DE | 2,768 | 1.9 mi |
| 19967 | Millville, DE | 354 | 2.1 mi |
| 19939 | Dagsboro, DE | 5,979 | 6.2 mi |
| 19944 | Fenwick Island, DE | 620 | 6.3 mi |
| 19971 | Rehoboth Beach, DE | 12,385 | 8.7 mi |
| 19975 | Selbyville, DE | 8,253 | 7.6 mi |
| 19945 | Frankford, DE | 6,862 | 8.2 mi |
| 21813 | Bishopville, MD | 2,852 | 10.1 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 19970, both outside DE so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (6,170 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Sussex County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 19970 in?
ZIP code 19970 (Ocean View) is located in Sussex County, Delaware. Sussex County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/sussex-de.
What is the population of ZIP code 19970?
ZIP code 19970 in Ocean View, DE has a population of 6,170 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 19970?
The median household income in ZIP 19970 is $94,103, which is 23% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 19970?
The median home value in ZIP 19970 is $526,600, which is 89% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 19970?
The largest racial group in ZIP 19970 is White at 93.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 19970?
ZIP code 19970 has 196 business establishments employing approximately 1,490 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 19970?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 19970 are: Retail trade (36), Construction (35), Professional, scientific, and technical services (22). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 19970?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 19970 increased by 23.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 182%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 19970?
In ZIP code 19970, 71.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 48.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 19970?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 19970 is 26.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 19970?
In ZIP code 19970, approximately 91.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 8.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 19970?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 19970 is 12.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 19970's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 19970 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Ocean View, DE ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.