Dewey Beach is a tourist-heavy town on the Atlantic Ocean
A small strip between Rehoboth Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Dewey Beach was originally founded as a Coast Guard station in the early 20th century. After the base closed in the ‘40s, cottages and resorts were built along the town’s American beach grass-covered shoreline, eventually becoming one of Delaware’s most popular tourist destinations. Today, the town’s full-time population of about 300 residents surges during the summer, but it’s still quieter than its more commercial neighbor to the north, Rehoboth Beach. “We don’t have a boardwalk or roller coasters,” says Jack Redefer, the owner of Rehoboth Bay Realty and a fourth-generation Dewey Beach local. “Our beach is less busy and cleaner because there aren’t any bars or stores directly on it.” When summer ends, locals can enjoy long walks on the empty beach and the less-crowded restaurants along state Route 1, locally called Coastal Highway. “Life moves slowly when it’s not summer,” Redefer says. “We’re a quiet, small town during the off-season.”
There’s a mix of housing options
Mid-rise condo complexes, townhouses and single-family homes make up Dewey Beach. Some cottages date back to the mid-20th century, while multi-family homes were typically built between the 1980s and 2020s. As a summer vacation spot, Dewey Beach has a high renter population. “It’s absolutely filled with people from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but after that, it feels like a ghost town,” Redefer says. For those who do buy, the median home price is around $926,000, though waterfront properties may cost up to $2 million. There aren’t property taxes in Dewey Beach. However, homeowners with waterfront property pay a beach replenishment tax to help with shoreline erosion. Severe weather and rising sea levels put parts of Dewey Beach in FEMA-designated, high-risk flood zones. Homes in those areas are required to have flood insurance.
Swimming, fishing and community events on Dewey Beach
During the summer, locals and tourists lugging chairs, blankets and umbrellas walk along sidewalks to reach Dewey Beach’s wide, sandy shoreline. Kids build sandcastles while anglers reel in bluefish and flounder. The Dewey Beach Patrol monitors swimmers from tall chairs and ATVs. Several events are held on the beach, including the National Championship of Skimboarding every August. Musicians perform on a stage, and locals roast marshmallows over bonfires during the Dewey Beach End of Summer Celebration. “Only full-timers go to that one because it’s at the end of September when most tourists are gone,” Redefer says. Full-time residents also frequent the beach during the winter. “That’s when we all walk our dogs and let them run in the water. I’ve also seen people run into the water to do cold plunges.” Boating is also popular in Dewey Beach, with several yacht clubs, marinas and rental places on the bay side.
Coastal Highway is a major commercial corridor
Souvenir shops, lively bars and seafood restaurants fill commercial strips and stand-alone storefronts on Coastal Highway, spanning Dewey Beach’s core. Several boat-up eateries sit along the bay. Redefer says that not every restaurant here is open year-round. “A lot of places close during the off-season, but you always find at least one place with live music and a seafood special, no matter what time of year it is.” Amusement park rides and more shopping and dining options line the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, less than 3 miles north. A few convenience stores are in Dewey Beach, but Rehoboth Beach also has the closest big-box grocery stores. Over 100 name-brand stores are available in Rehoboth Beach’s three Tanger Outlets.
Traffic in Dewey Beach backs up during the summer
A 45-mile drive north on the Coastal Highway reaches Dover, while the Delaware-Maryland border near Fenwick Island is about 16 miles south. Redefer warns that traffic on the highway increases during the summer. “It’s pretty much at a standstill all day every Saturday during tourist season. We try to walk everywhere to avoid driving on it.” The DART Beach Bus offers year-round transportation to Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, while the Jolly Trolley only provides rides to those towns during the summer. Beebe Healthcare, 8 miles north, is the closest hospital. Salisbury, 46 miles southwest, has the nearest regional airport.
A-minus grade and above for the Cape Henlopen School District
The Cape Henlopen School District serves the area. Kids can attend Rehoboth Elementary and Beacon Middle, both earning As from Niche. They may continue to A-minus-rated Cape Henlopen High, where career pathways include performing arts, communication and visual arts. Each school is located outside Dewey Beach, but the district offers bus routes.
Dewey Beach has a small park, and other recreation spaces are nearby
Aside from a beach, the town is home to John Waples Memorial Park, a pocket green space with a playground, gazebo and sand pit. The Sussex Family YMCA, 2 miles northwest, has an indoor pool, fitness center and basketball courts. Hiking trails stretch around World War II control towers, past camping sites and through pine forests at Cape Henlopen State Park, less than 10 miles north.
