Who is the Sussex County Clerk of the Peace?

Norman "Jay" Jones Jr. (Republican) is the Clerk of the Peace of Sussex County, Delaware.

Who is the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds?

Alexandra Reed Baker (Republican) is the Recorder of Deeds of Sussex County, Delaware. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Sussex County Register of Wills?

Gregory Fuller (Republican) is the Register of Wills of Sussex County, Delaware. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Sussex County Sheriff?

Robert Lee (Republican) is the Sheriff of Sussex County, Delaware. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Sussex County commissioners?

Matt Lloyd (County Council, District 1); Steve C. McCarron (County Council, District 2); Jane Gruenebaum (County Council, District 3); Douglas B. Hudson (County Council, District 4); John L. Rieley (County Council, District 5).

What is the population of Sussex County?

About 255,626 people, with a median age of 51.9; the median household income is $81,497 and 10.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Sussex County?

4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 5,062 people unemployed in a labor force of 120,133, against 4.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Sussex County?

178 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 25 municipal, 8 school district and 144 special district governments.

Sussex County, DE elected officials: county council, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Sussex County: 9 seats on 5 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Council or Levy Court

Sussex County Council

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Council, District 1	Matt Lloyd Republican source
County Council, District 2	Steve C. McCarron Republican source
County Council, District 3	Jane Gruenebaum Democratic source
County Council, District 4	Douglas B. Hudson Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Council, District 5	John L. Rieley Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
Clerk of the Peace	Norman "Jay" Jones Jr. Republican source
Recorder of Deeds	Alexandra Reed Baker Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Register of Wills	Gregory Fuller Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Robert Lee Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Sussex County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 178 local governments in Sussex County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of government	Census count (2022)	Listed on this page
County government	1	1
Cities, towns, villages and townships	25	0
School districts (school boards)	8	0
Special districts (elected boards)	144	0

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Sussex County

255,626people

51.9median ageU.S.: 38.9

$81,497 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

10.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%

33%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$382,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700

5.3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

8.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

8.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

7%U.S.: 8.4%

53.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

26.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 11.5% · White 72.3% · Black 9.8% · Asian 1.3% · Other or more than one race 5.1% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Sussex County

4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.6%. Delaware: 4.6%.

5,062people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

115,071people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

120,133in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.2%	5,062	115,071	120,133
August 2026	4.5%	5,525	118,169	123,694
July 2026	4.3%	5,393	118,992	124,385
June 2026	4.7%	5,686	116,198	121,884
May 2026	4.1%	4,922	113,763	118,685
April 2026	4.9%	5,791	111,655	117,446
March 2026	5.3%	6,266	111,275	117,541
February 2026	5.7%	6,731	110,447	117,178
January 2026	5.8%	6,852	110,722	117,574
December 2025	5.2%	6,221	112,589	118,810
November 2025	5.5%	6,625	113,084	119,709
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	4.6%	5,686	116,999	122,685
August 2025	4.6%	5,822	120,931	126,753
July 2025	4.4%	5,558	122,176	127,734
June 2025	4.3%	5,406	119,034	124,440
May 2025	4.1%	4,941	115,448	120,389
April 2025	4.3%	5,142	113,195	118,337
March 2025	4.6%	5,382	111,353	116,735
February 2025	5.0%	5,755	110,434	116,189
January 2025	4.8%	5,555	110,981	116,536
December 2024	3.7%	4,339	112,734	117,073
November 2024	3.6%	4,229	113,385	117,614
October 2024	3.5%	4,200	114,192	118,392

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.7%	5,645	115,111	120,756
2024	3.8%	4,511	113,943	118,454
2023	3.9%	4,473	111,646	116,119
2022	4.2%	4,766	109,062	113,828
2021	5.0%	5,550	105,660	111,210
2020	7.2%	7,695	98,593	106,288
2019	3.6%	3,795	102,834	106,629
2018	3.7%	3,852	100,658	104,510
2017	4.4%	4,479	97,203	101,682
2016	4.5%	4,468	94,210	98,678

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Delaware's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.6% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Sussex County

280.1 per 100,0002025. Delaware: 346.9.

1,045.2 per 100,0002025. Delaware: 1,559.2.

6murders2025, 756 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	756	280.1	2,821	1,045.2
2024	813	305.5	3,142	1,180.6
2023	798	310.0	3,247	1,261.6
2020	724	310.7	3,485	1,495.5
2017	735	337.1	4,730	2,169.6
2016	787	370.4	5,099	2,400.0

By police agency (20)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Seaford Police Department	2025	57	375	9,212
Georgetown Police Department	2025	59	368	8,342
Millsboro Police Department	2025	27	224	8,113
Laurel Police Department	2025	64	111	4,529
Milton Police Department	2025	13	46	3,891
Lewes Police Department	2025	14	33	3,804
Selbyville Police Department	2025	12	43	3,387
Ocean View Police Department	2025	5	11	3,120
Bridgeville Police Department	2025	13	45	2,999
Delmar Police Department	2025	9	44	2,342
Blades Police Department	2025	11	27	1,371
Rehoboth Beach Police Department	2025	5	104	1,295
Greenwood Police Department	2025	4	13	1,158
Bethany Beach Police Department	2025	8	66	1,117
Dagsboro Police Department	2025	2	11	1,019
Frankford Police Department	2025	4	4	932
Ellendale Police Department	2024	0	5	558
South Bethany Police Department	2025	0	9	536
Dewey Beach Police Department	2025	7	22	418
Fenwick Island Police Department	2025	5	7	401

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Delaware · the U.S.

Police staffing

4.17 per 1,000 residents2025, 20 agencies serving 58,559 people.

244sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

46civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (20), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Seaford Police Department	31	7	9,212
Rehoboth Beach Police Department	22	12	1,295
Georgetown Police Department	21	6	8,342
Delmar Police Department	19	3	2,342
Laurel Police Department	20	1	4,529
Millsboro Police Department	17	3	8,113
Dewey Beach Police Department	13	6	418
Lewes Police Department	17	1	3,804
Ocean View Police Department	14	1	3,120
Milton Police Department	12	1	3,891
Bethany Beach Police Department	12	1	1,117
Selbyville Police Department	10	1	3,387
Bridgeville Police Department	9	1	2,999
Fenwick Island Police Department	7	1	401
Dagsboro Police Department	6	0	1,019
South Bethany Police Department	6	0	536
Greenwood Police Department	3	1	1,158
Blades Police Department	2	0	1,371
Frankford Police Department	2	0	932
Ellendale Police Department	1	0	573

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	244	4.17	46	20
2023	219	3.94	37	20
2020	200	4.03	32	20
2019	198	4.05	36	20
2018	195	4.06	39	20
2016	179	3.85	40	20

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Sussex County Clerk of the Peace?: Norman "Jay" Jones Jr. (Republican) is the Clerk of the Peace of Sussex County, Delaware.
Who is the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds?: Alexandra Reed Baker (Republican) is the Recorder of Deeds of Sussex County, Delaware. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Sussex County Register of Wills?: Gregory Fuller (Republican) is the Register of Wills of Sussex County, Delaware. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Sussex County Sheriff?: Robert Lee (Republican) is the Sheriff of Sussex County, Delaware. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Sussex County commissioners?: Matt Lloyd (County Council, District 1); Steve C. McCarron (County Council, District 2); Jane Gruenebaum (County Council, District 3); Douglas B. Hudson (County Council, District 4); John L. Rieley (County Council, District 5).
What is the population of Sussex County?: About 255,626 people, with a median age of 51.9; the median household income is $81,497 and 10.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Sussex County?: 4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 5,062 people unemployed in a labor force of 120,133, against 4.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Sussex County?: 178 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 25 municipal, 8 school district and 144 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Kent and Sussex county governments' websites and, for New Castle County (whose site blocks automated reading) and party labels, the Delaware Department of Elections' certified results of each seat's last election; officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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