New Castle County vs Sussex County
New Castle County, Delaware versus Sussex County, Delaware: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
New Castle County and Sussex County score about the same overall (43 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | New Castle County | Sussex County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $85k | $75k |
| Cost of Living | $58k | $52k |
| Home Value | $312k | $324k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.76% | 0.35% |
| Income Tax | 7.44% | 6.60% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.21% | 8.09% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 33°F | 37°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.4 in | 49.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 18.4 in | 11.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 188 days | 219 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 89 days | 81 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 95.3 | 94.1 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 86.5 | 72.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1344/100k | 1752/100k |
| Property Crime | 2121/100k | 1566/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 570,567 | 240,668 |
| Median Age | 39.0 | 51.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.58 | 0.37 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | D+38 | R+11 |
| White (%) | 54.6% | 74.4% |
| Black (%) | 24.7% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.8% | 9.5% |
| Asian (%) | 5.8% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.0% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 11.0/20 | 7.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 29 mi | 76 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.6% | 88.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.40 | 0.79 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is New Castle County or Sussex County more affordable?
- Sussex County has the lower cost of living: its index is $52k, compared with New Castle County's $58k and Sussex County's $52k. Median rent is $1k in New Castle County versus $1k in Sussex County.
- Is New Castle County or Sussex County safer?
- New Castle County has the lower violent crime rate. New Castle County reports 1344/100k and Sussex County reports 1752/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in New Castle County or Sussex County?
- The median home value is $312k in New Castle County and $324k in Sussex County, so homes are more affordable in New Castle County.