Bethany Beach: Housing & Real Estate
Bethany Beach homes sell at a median $720,900 (estimated market value runs 8% higher at $777,518), with median rent $1,375 (1.1× higher than Sussex County median $1,238; about the same as Delaware median $1,401). Homeownership rate: 93.7%. That's 1.9× higher than the Sussex County median ($382,600); 2.0× higher than the Delaware median ($352,000). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 82.0%. New construction makes up 11.0% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 6.2× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Delaware 3.8×).
- 43.7 years to break even renting at the median (vs Delaware 18y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.1× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $720,900 — 2.5× the Delaware median ($291,400). Median rent $1,375/month. homeownership rate 93.7% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 6.2× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | expensive |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 17.3% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 35.7% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 1.7% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 1.5% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,059 (vs Delaware $1,397) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,066 (vs Delaware $1,520) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,399 (vs Delaware $1,810) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,757 (vs Delaware $2,170) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $2,172 (vs Delaware $2,423) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Sussex County, DE |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $777,518 |
| Median Home Value | $720,900 (vs Delaware $291,400) |
| Median Rent | $1,375 (vs Delaware $1,344) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 82.0% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 11.0% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 11.2% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 2 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (2)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Delaware median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Delaware median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Delaware median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 89.4% (vs Delaware 82.0%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 2,635 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 16.57¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 473508 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $857 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Delaware median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Delaware median) |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 15 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 6 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 5 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 16 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 93.7% (vs Delaware 61.8%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1987 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12