South Bethany, Delaware
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South Bethany is an incorporated town located in Sussex County, Delaware. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 492.
South Bethany, together with the towns of Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island, comprises Delaware's beach resort area and is Sussex County's most densely-populated and fastest-growing area.
South Bethany, its neighbor to the north, Bethany Beach, and its neighbor to the south, Fenwick Island are popularly known as "The Quiet Resorts". This is in contradistinction to the wild atmosphere of Dewey Beach and the cosmopolitan bustle of Rehoboth Beach. Assisting South Bethany's reputation as a "quiet" place is the presence of Delaware Seashore State Park (http://www.destateparks.com/dssp/dssp.asp/) to the north of Bethany Beach, a six mile-long barrier island providing a substantial buffer from Dewey Beach's noise. Serving as another buffer is a large unincorporated area of private condominiums and multi-million-dollar beach homes between the park and Bethany Beach.
The town was incorporated on June 18, 1969. It was formed as an unincorporated entity in 1952 when a Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hall purchased approximately 130 acres from the Delaware Shore Land Corporation and named the development "South Bethany". By 1959, the development counted 500 property owners.
Unlike Bethany Beach, South Bethany is almost exclusively residential.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.4 km² (0.5 mi²). 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is land and 1.89% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 492 people, 253 households, and 170 families residing in the town. The population density is 365.3/km² (948.6/mi²). There are 1,137 housing units at an average density of 844.2/km² (2,192.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 99.19% White, 0.00% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 253 households out of which 9.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% are married couples living together, 3.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% are non-families. 29.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.94 and the average family size is 2.32.
In the town the population is spread out with 8.7% under the age of 18, 2.0% from 18 to 24, 14.0% from 25 to 44, 40.0% from 45 to 64, and 35.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 60 years. For every 100 females there are 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 103.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $67,125, and the median income for a family is $89,666. Males have a median income of $61,250 versus $37,500 for females. The per capita income for the town is $53,624. 1.6% of the population and 0.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 0.0% of those under the age of 18 and 3.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Links
- Town of South Bethany - Official Site (http://www.southbethany.org/index.html)