Milford, Delaware
Area Profile
12,803 residents. Public schools, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Milford, in Sussex County.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 13 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable cities measured: unemployment is 4.3% and the Opportunity signal places Milford in the bottom 20%. The unemployment rate is published for Sussex County, DE, which contains Milford, rather than for Milford alone.
Development activity is both elevated and accelerating — 232 housing units permitted over the past twelve months, up 34% on the prior year. That follows a longer stretch moving the other way, through 2025.
Rent takes 31% of renter income here, above the 30% threshold conventionally called cost-burdened, and the median home is 3.4 times what its owners earn.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Sussex County, DE, which contains Milford, is 4.3%, lower than in 51% of the 4,226 measured US cities.
Employment across Sussex County, DE, which contains Milford, fell 2.8% over the past year, to 118,768 employed residents.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsSussex County, DE’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $112,195 | 89th percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftSussex County, DE’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $79,252 | 63rd percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$4,1472024 ACS 5-Year | $59,464 | Bottom 38%of 29,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$3,4522024 ACS 5-Year | $34,975 | Top 46%of 31,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±6%2024 ACS 5-Year | 17.6% | Bottom 28%of 31,773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±2.3 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 25.0 min | Top 41%of 31,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 27.6% | Top 35%of 31,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±6%2024 ACS 5-Year | 81.9% | 66th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentSussex County, DE’s figureJuly 2026 | 118,768 | Top 41%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Sussex County, DE’s figureJuly 2026 | −0.4% | Bottom 47%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Sussex County, DE’s figureJuly 2026 | −2.8% | Bottom 10%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceSussex County, DE’s figureJuly 2026 | 124,157 | 59th percentileof 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 77.1% | Bottom 46%of 31,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public transit to work ±0.7%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.7% | 82nd percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Sussex County, DE’s figureJuly 2026 | −0.1% | Top 50%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateSussex County, DE’s figureJuly 2026 | 4.3% | Top 49%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.1% | 52nd percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes city-level labor data only for places of 25,000 or more. This is the figure for Sussex County, DE, which contains this city.
38% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 50% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 17.6 students for every full-time teacher across 5 public schools, more than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milford Senior High School | Milford School District | 1,271 | 19.6 | 16% | 43% |
| Milford Central Academy | Milford School District | 1,013 | 18.8 | 40% | 47% |
| Ross (Lulu M.) Elementary School | Milford School District | 693 | 15.4 | 58% | 59% |
| Mispillion Elementary | Milford School District | 568 | 15.4 | 48% | 55% |
| Banneker (Benjamin) Elementary School | Milford School District | 540 | 17.4 | 53% | 55% |
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Delaware’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $1,493 a year in real estate taxes, about 0.50% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $1,399, some 11% above the $1,260 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $1,399 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $56,000 a year, about 94% of the median household income here of $59,464.
The typical renter household here spends 31% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,260 a month.
A median home at $296,900 costs 3.4 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $86,577, above the historic benchmark of about 3 times income.
The figures above are measured against Milford’s median household income of $59,464, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price to income ±0.42024 ACS 5-Year | 3.4 | Bottom 25%of 26,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 51.3% | 10th percentileof 31,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±4562024 ACS 5-Year | 5,911 | 90th percentileof 32,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $1,066 | Top 27%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,757 | Top 32%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $1,399 | Top 35%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$1632024 ACS 5-Year | $1,260 | Bottom 29%of 23,120 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$19,8652024 ACS 5-Year | $296,900 | 72nd percentileof 29,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$1242024 ACS 5-Year | $1,493 | 42nd percentileof 26,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$8,3272024 ACS 5-Year | $86,577 | Top 40%of 27,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.05%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.50% | 11th percentileof 20,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±8%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.3% | Bottom 35%of 22,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±1082024 ACS 5-Year | 156 | 92nd percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 2.6% | 73rd percentileof 31,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 3.3% | 28th percentileof 31,769 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±1652024 ACS 5-Year | 351 | 86th percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has grown 24% since 2020, reaching 14,079 in 2024.
Federal tax returns show Sussex County, which contains Milford, gained about 2.7% of its residents through moves within the US in the most recent year, counting those who arrived against those who left. Households that moved in reported an average income of $112,195, above the $79,252 of households that moved out.
At 18.1 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US cities.
Population, annual estimates
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Wicomico County, MD 610 people · 4.3% of arrivals
- Montgomery County, MD 448 people · 3.2% of arrivals
- Baltimore County, MD 403 people · 2.8% of arrivals
- Worcester County, MD 349 people · 2.5% of arrivals
- Anne Arundel County, MD 339 people · 2.4% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Wicomico County, MD 687 people · 8.1% of departures
- Worcester County, MD 217 people · 2.6% of departures
- Anne Arundel County, MD 120 people · 1.4% of departures
- Baltimore County, MD 120 people · 1.4% of departures
- Montgomery County, MD 118 people · 1.4% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. This is the figure for Sussex County, DE. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
Housing units permitted per year
Weather & climate
7 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 88°F and January a low of 29°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 43.9 inches.
Air quality measures a median index of 40, in the Good band, and no day in the year passed 100.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| 90th percentile air quality index2024 calendar year | 55 | 2024 calendar year |
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 43.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 7 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Days above AQI 1002024 calendar year | 0 | 2024 calendar year |
| Median air quality index2024 calendar year | 40 | 2024 calendar year |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Air quality
A comfortable median and a bad tail are different problems. Wildfire smoke and summer ozone show up in the worst tenth of days, not in the middle of the year.
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. Air quality is measured by EPA monitors and published by county only where a monitor sits; a county without one shows nothing rather than an estimate, and a county reading is still the county’s. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, hurricane and cold wave, with inland flooding alone responsible for 38% of it. Inland flooding and cold wave are independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large those hazards are.
Low or minimal exposure: cold wave, winter weather, inland flooding, drought, lightning, wildfire, ice storm, tornado, hail, landslide, tsunami, volcanic activity, avalanche.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. City values are the population-weighted mean of the counties the city overlaps, using AreaProfile place-to-county land-area weights. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
Below these are deaths rather than offenses, published for the county. The two measure different things and are not comparable with each other.
Milford's police department reported 464 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, higher than most places with a department reporting. Property crime runs at 2,615.
Sussex County has a modeled homicide rate of about 3.0 per 100,000 residents a year, because the CDC suppresses counts this small, near the middle of counties measured. The CDC does not publish this below county level.
Firearm deaths of all intents run at 10.2 per 100,000 — more than the homicide rate, since the figure counts suicides and accidents as well as homicides.
Drug overdose deaths run at 19.7 per 100,000 residents in Sussex County.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Offenses are reported to the FBI by Milford’s own police department and shown only where it reported every month of the year; a partial year is withheld rather than scaled up. Reported crime is what police recorded, which is not the same as what happened. Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe the county around Milford (Sussex County) rather than Milford itself. Neither is part of the Area Score. How to read crime rates and death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Cost of living
- Price parities are published for metropolitan areas, and this place lies outside one.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
4 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Dover AFB at 15 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±10%2024 ACS 5-Year | 87.3% | Bottom 40%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 15 mi | Top 44%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 4 | Bottom 38%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±6%2024 ACS 5-Year | 11.9% | Bottom 30%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover AFB | DOV | 15 mi | 9,602 ft |
| Atlantic City Intl | ACY | 59 mi | 10,001 ft |
| Philadelphia Intl | PHL | 67 mi | 12,000 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Data & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Safety | Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer Summarized offense counts by law enforcement agency | 2025 calendar year |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Climate | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System Daily Air Quality Index by county | 2024 calendar year |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
ZIP codes in Milford
1 ZIP areaEvery ZIP area in Milford with census figures of its own, largest first.
| ZIP | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Area Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19963 | 23,500 | $71,108 | $322,500 | 65 |