Land for Sale in Sussex County, DE
Sussex County is Delaware's southern county and its largest, 1,196 square miles with 237,378 residents (2020 census) and a Census Bureau 2025 estimate of 277,140, up 16.8%. Poultry farms fill the interior, the beaches and resorts line the east, and growth is converting farmland to subdivisions. Delaware's farmland assessment program matters to anyone buying a farm tract, and this guide covers it.
Sussex County at a glance
- County seat: Georgetown. Cities include Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford and Milford (partly in Kent County).
- 2020 population 237,378, and 277,140 in the 2025 estimate, up 16.8%; about 1,196 square miles, 260 of them water.
- The largest county in Delaware by area; it produces more poultry than any other U.S. county.
- The eastern part of the county has Delaware's beaches and seaside resorts.
- Highways: US 13, US 113, Delaware 1 and 404.
The Sussex County land market
Growth follows the beaches. Land near Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Millsboro and Georgetown is sought for subdivisions, retirement homes and second homes, while farm tracts in the west near Seaford, Laurel and Bridgeville are priced for farming and development potential. The county has also bought farmland itself to preserve it, so some land has permanent restrictions.
Delaware farmland assessment and rollback
Under Delaware's Farmland Assessment Act, qualifying agricultural land can be assessed at use value. A 1985 amendment set the eligibility test as at least 10 acres or gross sales of agricultural, horticultural or forestry products averaging at least $10,000 a year over two years; confirm the current text of Title 9, Chapter 83. When land is changed to another use, rollback taxes apply, but sources disagree on the look-back: the 1973 statute text covers the year of change and up to two preceding years, while a Delaware Aglands presentation says up to 10 years of avoided taxes, paid to the Aglands Foundation. Ask the Sussex County assessment office which applies to a parcel, whether it is enrolled and whether a sale or subdivision would trigger rollback.
Septic, wetlands and flood
Much of Sussex County lies low, and the coastal area has high water tables and wetlands, so septic approval, wetland delineation and the FEMA flood zone are central checks. Public sewer is available mainly in towns and planned sanitary districts, so confirm service. Zoning and subdivision rules come from the county and the municipalities, and they are changing fast with growth.
Before you buy land in Sussex County
- Farmland assessment enrollment and the rollback tax if you change the use.
- Preservation easements and Aglands restrictions.
- Wetlands, flood zone and septic or sewer availability.
- Zoning and subdivision rules for the parcel.
- Legal access and any impact fees.
Perc tests and septic for raw landLand due diligence checklist
Frequently asked questions
What is Delaware farmland assessment?
A program that assesses qualifying agricultural land at use value, generally land of at least 10 acres or with a minimum amount of farm sales, with rollback taxes if the use changes.
How fast is Sussex County growing?
Population rose from 197,145 in 2010 to 237,378 in 2020, and the 2025 estimate is 277,140.
What is Sussex County known for?
Beaches and resorts in the east and poultry farming; it produces more poultry than any other U.S. county.