DELAWARE — Sussex County’s coastal communities are a haven for visitors in search of sun and sand. For more than a century, Rehoboth Beach has been known as the “Nation’s Summer Capital,” attracting people from cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Wilmington and Washington, D.C.
In recent years, some of those visitors have decided that they wanted to make coastal Delmarva a permanent home. According to U.S. Census estimates, the county’s permanent population has grown by nearly 100,000 people over the past two decades. Much of that growth accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2020 to 2024, Sussex County added more than 32,000 new residents.
Entirely new neighborhoods have popped up in areas that were nothing but trees or farmland less than a decade ago. All this change comes with a lot of opinions.
“It’s ridiculous. I mean, the roads can’t handle it, and it’s so congested,” said Harbeson resident Maryanne Johnson.
Others say newcomers should not be blamed.
“You can’t get here and say I should be the last family or the last people here,” said Lisa Snyder of Rehoboth Beach.
Some newer Delmarvan's say it is the sheer pace of development that has been surprising.
“They are building everywhere. It’s horrible,” said Judy Kelly, who recently moved to Milton.
Still, others understand the appeal.
“I see a lot of building going on around this area, and I understand why everybody is going this direction,” said Lewes-area resident Kimberly Madsen.
Lori Sherman moved to Sussex County in 2020 after living in Wilmington and spending 26 years teaching in Connecticut.
“My husband and I loved the beaches, and we wanted to be close to the beach,” Sherman said. “There’s a lot to do here within the community where we live. And there’s also a lot to do in Sussex County.”
Sherman said traffic is a challenge at times, but her biggest concern is access to medical care for both people and pets.
“The services have not kept up with the population growth,” she said, adding that her family had to go to Salisbury, Maryland, for 24-hour emergency veterinary care. She said finding medical care for people has posed similar issues.
Sherman also said her housing community grew faster and larger than she expected.
“We thought that our community would not be this large. It’s 700 homes. And we were under the impression it might be 350 homes,” she said.
According to projections from the Delaware Population Consortium, Sussex County is expected to add 20,000 more residents in the next five years. That number is projected to reach 40,000 over 10 years and 75,000 over 20 years.
Meanwhile, the people who live in Sussex County right now continue to express a range of opinions about the seemingly unstoppable growth happening here along the coast.
“I like growth, but it’s mismanaged,” Johnson said. “The roads cannot handle all these developments that they’re putting in.”
“I’m not unhappy about growth at all,” said a resident named Carlos. “I’m glad for the growth here.”
“You do see a lot of growth still happening,” said Lee Phillips, who has lived in Harbeson for about a year. “So it makes me pause a little bit, like how is everything going to handle that. But I still love living here.”
“I welcome them. It’s a great place to come,” said Robert Kirkman of Rehoboth Beach.
Do not expect the moving trucks to stop bringing new families to Sussex County anytime soon. With beaches, recreation, tax advantages, great weather, and more, the migration to southern Delaware will continue, leaving some to ask: How many people is too many people?