Town guide

Lewes, Delaware

Lewes is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, home to about 3,505 people across 4.2 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 19958 and 19968.

Homes sold for a median of $253 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.

Population3,505837 per sq mi
Median home value$826,100Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$253Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking14%Median of 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Lewes

2 ZIP codes, 2 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Lewes. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Lewes’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Lewes

Distances

Nearest major airportPhiladelphia International Airport (PHL)78 miles away
Closer regional airportOcean City Municipal Airport (OCE)30 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Baltimore, MD86 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA88 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Lewes; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Lewes

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Lewes had 3,303 residents in the 2020 census, up 13% since 2000.

It’s the 30th largest of 79 towns in Delaware by population.

Sussex County grew from 42,276 residents in 1900 to 237,378 in 2020.

Lewes population by census2000: 2,932, 2010: 2,747, 2020: 3,3032,93220002,74720103,3032020

Sussex County, 1900–2020

Sussex County population, 1900 to 20201900: 42,276, 1910: 46,413, 1920: 43,741, 1930: 45,507, 1940: 52,502, 1950: 61,336, 1960: 73,195, 1970: 80,356, 1980: 98,004, 1990: 113,229, 2000: 156,638, 2010: 197,145, 2020: 237,37842K’00’1044K’20’3053K’40’5073K’60’7098K’80’90157K’00’10237K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 30°F. About 47.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 11 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near LewesJan: high 46°F, low 30°F, 3.4 in; Feb: high 48°F, low 32°F, 3.2 in; Mar: high 55°F, low 38°F, 4.2 in; Apr: high 66°F, low 46°F, 3.5 in; May: high 75°F, low 56°F, 3.4 in; Jun: high 83°F, low 66°F, 3.8 in; Jul: high 88°F, low 71°F, 5 in; Aug: high 86°F, low 69°F, 4.3 in; Sep: high 80°F, low 64°F, 4.5 in; Oct: high 69°F, low 52°F, 4.4 in; Nov: high 59°F, low 42°F, 3.6 in; Dec: high 50°F, low 35°F, 4.2 in46°30°Jan3.448°32°Feb3.255°38°Mar4.266°46°Apr3.575°56°May3.483°66°Jun3.888°71°Jul5.086°69°Aug4.380°64°Sep4.569°52°Oct4.459°42°Nov3.650°35°Dec4.2Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lewes, DE weather station (3 miles away).

Jobs in Sussex County

78,541 jobs at 6,411 businesses in Sussex County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Sussex CountyHealth care and social assistance: 13,499 jobs; Retail trade: 13,258 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 12,369 jobs; Manufacturing: 10,841 jobs; Construction: 5,957 jobs; Administrative and support: 4,822 jobs; Professional services: 3,025 jobs; Other services: 2,837 jobsHealth care and social assistance 17% Retail trade 17% Hotels and restaurants 16% Manufacturing 14% Construction 8% Administrative and support 6% Professional services 4% Other services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

727 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lewes’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Beebe Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Lewes3.0 miles
  • Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex CampusGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Milford18.4 miles
  • Tidalhealth Nanticoke, INC.General hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Seaford23.9 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors87
Specialist doctors159
Dentists15
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants171
Mental health providers166
Physical and occupational therapists110
Optometrists5
Chiropractors14
Pharmacies10

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Lewes

Grocery stores (2 nearby)

  • Redner's0.5 mi
  • Weis1.2 mi

Pharmacies (3 nearby)

  • CVS Pharmacy1.0 mi
  • Cape Pharmacy1.1 mi
  • Walgreens1.2 mi

Libraries

  • Lewes Public Library2.8 mi
  • Rehoboth Beach Public Library5.5 mi

Museums

  • Zwaanendael Museum3.3 mi
  • The Lewes Historical Society Main Campus3.3 mi
  • The Lewes Maritime Museum at the Cannonball House3.3 mi
  • Lewes Life-Saving Station3.4 mi
  • Rehoboth Beach Museum5.0 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • Cinema Art Theater1.4 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Lewes

Public schools here are run by Cape Henlopen School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (9)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Sussex ConsortiumLewesPre-K–12439Special Education2.8 mi
H. O. Brittingham Elementary SchoolMiltonK–5506Public8.0 mi
Lewes Elementary SchoolLewesK–5620Public2.7 mi
Love Creek Elementary SchoolLewesK–5631Public2.2 mi
Milton Elementary SchoolMiltonK–5582Public7.6 mi
Beacon Middle SchoolLewes6–8427Public2.4 mi
Frederick D Thomas Middle SchoolLewes6–8451Public2.6 mi
Mariner Middle SchoolMilton6–8552Public7.3 mi
Cape Henlopen High SchoolLewes9–121,889Public2.1 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Peaceful Child SchoolMiltonPre-K–412Nonsectarian4.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Lewes is

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Towns near Lewes

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Shares ZIP codes with Milton.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.