Postal Codes

19973 ZIP Code

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ZIP code 19973 covers Seaford, Delaware, with a population of about 25,786 and a median household income of $62,668.

Population
25,786307 per square mile
Median age
42.94.2 points above the US average
Median household income
$62,66824% below the Delaware median
Poverty rate
16.4%4 points above the US average
Typical home value
$319,695up 17.5% in five years
Median rent
$1,13116% below the Delaware median
Degree or higher
17.9%17.1 points below the US average
Homeownership
73.1%8.1 points above the US average
Time zone
Eastern UTC-05:00observes daylight saving time
Businesses
599

Where 19973 is

Seaford, Delaware — the area the Census Bureau draws for this ZIP code. ZIP codes are sets of delivery routes rather than areas, so this is the Census approximation of one, not a Postal Service boundary.

People and households

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Population25,786
Median age42.9
Family households68.8%
Born outside the US9.2%
Speaks a language other than English at home15.3%
White (non-Hispanic)58.1%
Black (non-Hispanic)20.2%
Asian (non-Hispanic)0.9%
Hispanic or Latino10.6%
Veterans8.4%
Population by age
MaleFemale0-45-910-1415-1920-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475-8485+
Income and poverty

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median household income$62,668
Income per person$32,570
Poverty rate16.4%
Households on SNAP or cash assistance16.4%

Household income distribution

Under $10k6.1%
$10–15k4.6%
$15–20k3.6%
$20–25k3.4%
$25–30k4.5%
$30–35k4.1%
$35–40k4.1%
$40–45k6.5%
$45–50k4.4%
$50–60k8.2%
$60–75k8.8%
$75–100k11.4%
$100–125k8.8%
$125–150k6.4%
$150–200k8.9%
$200k or more6.1%

Income as declared to the IRS

Filed returns rather than survey responses, so this counts tax units and not households.

Tax returns filed12,730
Mean adjusted gross income$59,940
Returns declaring $200,000 or more3%
Returns, under $25k32.5%
Returns, $25k–$50k29.5%
Returns, $50k–$75k15.0%
Returns, $75k–$100k8.4%
Returns, $100k–$200k11.5%
Returns, $200k or more3.0%
Housing

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median home value$254,300
Median gross rent$1,131
Rent as a share of household income33.3%
Owner-occupied73.1%
Vacant homes7.4%
Median year built1986

What the homes are

Detached house69.8%
Attached house3.3%
2 to 4 units5.5%
5 to 19 units6%
20 or more units2.9%
Mobile home12%
Boat, RV or van0.6%
Home values and rents today

Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index, courtesy of Zillow. Monthly and current, where the Census figures above are a five-year average and are capped at $2,000,000.

Typical home value$319,695as of 2026-07
Typical home value, 1 yearup 1.9%
Typical home value, 5 yearsup 17.5%
Typical home value, 10 yearsup 69.7%
Typical home value since 2000
200020132026$319,695$102,298

$102,298 in 2000 to $319,695 in 2026.

Work, commuting and education

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Unemployment rate8.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher17.9%
High school diploma or higher84.3%
Works from home7.7%
Drives to work alone77.7%
Takes public transport0.2%
Commutes 45 minutes or more18.5%
Health

CDC PLACES 2025 release, model-based estimates. These are modelled small-area estimates for adults, not counts of diagnosed cases.

Obesity37.8% 4.4 pts above the national average of 33.4%
Diagnosed diabetes15% 3 pts above the national average of 12%
Currently smokes18% 4.8 pts above the national average of 13.2%
High blood pressure42.6% 8.5 pts above the national average of 34.1%
Fair or poor general health24.2% 3.9 pts above the national average of 20.3%
No health insurance (18–64)12.3% 1 pts above the national average of 11.3%
Depression21.8% same as the national average of 21.9%
No leisure-time physical activity32.6% 7.2 pts above the national average of 25.4%
Arthritis31.6% 6.5 pts above the national average of 25.1%
Binge drinking13.4% 2.6 pts below the national average of 16%
Taking blood pressure medication80.7% 6 pts above the national average of 74.7%
Cancer (non-skin)9.1% 1.4 pts above the national average of 7.7%
Current asthma11.5% 1.1 pts above the national average of 10.4%
Coronary heart disease8.7% 2.5 pts above the national average of 6.2%
Routine check-up in past year81.5% 4.8 pts above the national average of 76.7%
Cholesterol screening86.4% 0.5 pts above the national average of 85.9%
Cognitive disability15.6% 0.8 pts above the national average of 14.8%
Colorectal screening65.8% 1.5 pts above the national average of 64.3%
COPD9.9% 3.3 pts above the national average of 6.6%
Visited a dentist55.6% 5.7 pts below the national average of 61.3%
Any disability35.3% 4.6 pts above the national average of 30.7%
Lacks emotional support23.1% 1.7 pts below the national average of 24.8%
Food insecurity19.9% 2.8 pts above the national average of 17.1%
Received food stamps17.9% 3.6 pts above the national average of 14.3%
Hearing disability8.4% 1.7 pts above the national average of 6.7%
High cholesterol45% 8.8 pts above the national average of 36.2%
Housing insecurity14.6% 0.8 pts above the national average of 13.8%
Independent living disability10.4% 2 pts above the national average of 8.4%
Lacks transport10% 0.8 pts above the national average of 9.2%
Loneliness32.6% 1.8 pts below the national average of 34.4%
Mammography use77.5% 1.6 pts above the national average of 75.9%
Poor mental health (14+ days)16.8% same as the national average of 16.8%
Mobility disability18.3% 4.3 pts above the national average of 14%
Poor physical health (14+ days)16.3% 2.8 pts above the national average of 13.5%
Self-care disability5.2% 1.2 pts above the national average of 4%
Utility shut-off threat10% 1.2 pts above the national average of 8.8%
Sleeps under 7 hours36.2% same as the national average of 36.4%
Stroke4.7% 1.3 pts above the national average of 3.4%
All natural teeth lost17.2% 4.2 pts above the national average of 13%
Vision disability6.8% 1.2 pts above the national average of 5.6%
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Business and employment

Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2022

Business establishments599
People employed9,159
Annual payroll$431,737,000
Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data — the NRI is not published per ZIP.

Overall riskHigher than 70.5% of US census tracts
FEMA ratingRelatively Low to Relatively High across the 11 census tracts this ZIP code covers
Expected annual loss62.7 out of 100
Community resilience51.3 out of 100

By hazard

Score is out of 100 and is the area-weighted average across the census tracts this ZIP code covers. The rating beside it is the highest any one of those tracts carries.

Drought92.3Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Hurricane90.8Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Cold wave89.4Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Coastal flooding88.4Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Winter weather86.7Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Wildfire86.1Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Strong wind74.1Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Landslide70.5Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
River flooding67.1Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Ice storm64.6Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Heat wave61.6Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Lightning57.3Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Hail55.7Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Earthquake51.2Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Tornado44.3Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Compared with Delaware and the United States

State and national columns are figures for those areas, not for this ZIP code. American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

This ZIPDelawareUnited States
Median household income$62,668$82,855$78,538
Income per person$32,570$44,219$43,289
Poverty rate16.4%10.7%12.4%
Median home value$254,300$326,800$303,400
Median gross rent$1,131$1,341$1,348
Homeownership73.1%72.3%65%
Bachelor's degree or higher17.9%35.3%35%
Unemployment rate8.7%5.1%5.2%
Works from home7.7%13.3%13.5%
Born outside the US9.2%10.4%13.9%
Median age42.941.538.7
Climate

NOAA US Climate Normals 1991-2020, from the nearest weather station with a full year of records. The station and its distance are named above, because a station forty kilometres away describes somewhere else.

Weather stationGREENWOOD 2NE, DE US19.7 km away
Rain in a year46 in
Snow in a year13 in

Average high and low by month

January43.6°F / 25.4°F3.61 in rain, 3.3 in snow
February45.7°F / 26.3°F2.91 in rain, 5.9 in snow
March53.9°F / 32.9°F4.01 in rain, 1.6 in snow
April64.7°F / 42.4°F3.44 in rain, 0.2 in snow
May73.3°F / 51.9°F3.67 in rain
June82.1°F / 61.6°F4.19 in rain
July86.7°F / 66.7°F4.01 in rain
August85°F / 64.7°F4.5 in rain
September78.9°F / 57.9°F4.77 in rain
October68.2°F / 46.2°F4.23 in rain
November57.3°F / 37.2°F3.19 in rain
December48.2°F / 29.3°F3.78 in rain, 1.8 in snow
Access to food

USDA Food Access Research Atlas, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Each figure is the share of the ZIP code's land area that falls in a tract carrying that flag.

Low income and far from a supermarket14% of this ZIP code's area
Far from a supermarket18% of this ZIP code's area
No vehicle and far from a supermarket16% of this ZIP code's area
School districts

NCES Geographic Relationship File 2025, which states the association between each district and each ZIP code tabulation area directly. Elementary and secondary districts can cover the same ground, so shares need not total 100%.

This ZIP code is served by 5 school districts, so the address decides which one, not the ZIP code.

Seaford School District80.3% of this ZIP code's land area
Laurel School District8.5% of this ZIP code's land area
Dorchester County Public Schools7.3% of this ZIP code's land area
Indian River School District2% of this ZIP code's land area
Woodbridge School District1.9% of this ZIP code's land area
Community and walkability

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022 and the EPA National Walkability Index, both estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Vulnerability figures are national percentile ranks, not measurements.

Overall social vulnerability63more vulnerable than 63% of US census tracts
Socioeconomic status66more vulnerable than 66% of US census tracts
Household characteristics57more vulnerable than 57% of US census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status48more vulnerable than 48% of US census tracts
Housing type and transport56more vulnerable than 56% of US census tracts
Walkability4.9 out of 20Least walkable
Nearby ZIP codes

The closest ZIP codes by centre point, which is not the same as sharing a border.

19931 Bethel, DE8.2 km away
19956 Laurel, DE10.3 km away
19933 Bridgeville, DE10.7 km away
21861 Sharptown, MD15.1 km away
21659 Rhodesdale, MD15.4 km away
21632 Federalsburg, MD17 km away
19940 Delmar, DE18.3 km away
19947 Georgetown, DE18.8 km away
Location, counties and time zone

County shares from Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files. Time zone from the USDOT National Transportation Atlas, which renders the boundaries written into 49 CFR Part 71.

Sussex County92.7% of this ZIP code's land area
Dorchester County7.3% of this ZIP code's land area
Time zoneEastern (UTC-05:00 standard)
Daylight saving timeObserved
Land area84 sq mi
Water area2.01 sq mi
Population density307 people per sq mi
Latitude, longitude38.6404, -75.6041

Figures are published for this ZIP code or its Census tabulation area unless a section says otherwise. Estimates whose margin of error made them unreliable are omitted rather than shown. Sources: US Census Bureau, CDC, IRS.

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