Flood insurance cost · ZIP 19971 · DE

Flood insurance cost in ZIP 19971 (unincorporated Sussex County, DE)

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 2,287 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

ZIP code 19971 (unincorporated Sussex County, DE)Policies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$1,129a year

Half of insured homes paid between $802 and $1,544. That is about the same as the Sussex County median ($1,149). The most common flood zone for insured homes here is zone AE (43%).

$0$802 · $1,129 · $1,544$1,930

+8.5% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $1,041)

2,287home policies in force

$1,264average cost (mean)

57%of insured homes in high-risk zones (A, V)

$250,000median building coverage

This is what policyholders paid, not a quote. Two neighbors can pay very different prices: NFIP prices depend on the building (elevation, foundation, number of floors, replacement cost), the coverage and deductible chosen and the distance to water (FEMA FloodSmart: premium factors). For a price for your building, ask an insurance agent. Private flood insurance is not included in these figures.

Cost by flood zone in ZIP code 19971

The flood zone on FEMA's map is one of the main price factors. Median and middle half of what insured homes paid, by the zone used to rate the policy.

Flood zone	Median	Middle half (25th–75th percentile)	Average	Policies	vs last year
Zone VE / V High risk, coastal	$1,189	$729–$1,676	$1,379	97 (4%)	+2.2%
Zone AE High risk	$1,434	$1,087–$1,924	$1,583	988 (43%)	+10.8%
Zone AO High risk, shallow	$1,373	$1,117–$1,690	$1,453	223 (10%)	+7.4%
Zone X Moderate to low risk	$851	$634–$1,090	$887	979 (43%)	+1.2%

Not shown (fewer than 10 home policies): A, AH, A99/AR, D. Shares are of all insured homes; a few policies have no rated zone. "vs last year" compares medians with policies in force a year earlier.

Cost by type of building

All NFIP policies in force in ZIP code 19971, by what they insure.

Type of building	Policies	Median	Average
Single-family home	1,996	$1,162	$1,302
2–4 unit building	32	$1,507	$1,407
Manufactured (mobile) home	55	$1,037	$1,260
Condo or apartment unit	204	$736	$870
Whole residential building (5+ units or condo association) One policy covers the whole building, so the cost is much higher than for a single home.	179	$2,416	$3,618
Non-residential building or unit Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.	91	$2,235	$3,232

2,557NFIP policies in force, any building

3,730insured units (condo association policies count every unit)

86%of home policies also cover contents

$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: ZIP code 19971

Policies in force on August 31, 2026 compared with a year earlier. Nationwide, practically all policies in both years carry FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 occupancy codes, so both years use the same pricing system. The policies are not the same: some were new, some lapsed.

	Aug 31, 2025	Aug 31, 2026	Change
Home policies in force	2,409	2,287	−5.1%
Median annual cost	$1,041	$1,129	+8.5%
Average annual cost	$1,172	$1,264	+7.8%
All policies in force (any building)	2,684	2,557	−4.7%

Flood claims history

Since 1978, NFIP policyholders in ZIP 19971 have filed 880 flood claims. 625 received a payment, for a total of $8,224,614 (an average of $13,159 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 1992 (225 claims). Amounts are in dollars of the time, not adjusted for inflation.

Flood claims per year of loss, 1978–2026. Years with fewer than 10 claims are left blank. Hover a bar for details.

All years with at least 10 claims (13)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Total paid	Average per paid claim
2021	12	11	$538,606	$48,964
2020	10	<10	–	–
2012	165	135	$2,518,497	$18,656
2009	12	10	$44,177	$4,418
2003	10	<10	–	–
1998	190	156	$2,266,924	$14,532
1996	30	16	$89,896	$5,618
1994	52	40	$277,200	$6,930
1993	21	<10	–	–
1992	225	165	$2,011,831	$12,193
1991	33	18	$34,733	$1,930
1985	12	<10	–	–
1984	23	14	$30,277	$2,163

From 2016 to 2026: 22 claims (counting only years with at least 10). 2026 is a partial year. Claims are counted where the insured property is; they include buildings and contents, homes and businesses.

NFIP communities in this ZIP code

Unincorporated Sussex County (1,368 home policies) · Dewey Beach (455 home policies) · Rehoboth Beach (406 home policies) · Henlopen Acres (56 home policies). A ZIP code can cross city and county lines; each policy is counted once, in the ZIP code reported for the insured building.