Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach is a city in
Sussex County,
Delaware,
United States. The population was 1,495 at the 2000 census. A popular regional vacation destination, Rehoboth Beach's population expands to over 75,000 in the summer.
The city was founded in 1873 as the
Rehoboth Beach Camp Meeting Association by the Rev. Robert W. Todd, of St. Paul's
Methodist Episcopal Church of
Wilmington, Delaware, as a site for
Methodist camp meetings in the spirit of similar resorts on the
New Jersey shore, such as
Ocean City. The Camp Meeting Association disbanded in 1881, and in 1891, the location was incorporated by the
Delaware General Assembly as "Henlopen City", shortly after which it was renamed to Rehoboth Beach.
Rehoboth is a name of Biblical appellation, meaning "place [or space] for all". (In modern Hebrew, the same means 'streets'). The name is strikingly fitting, due to Rehoboth Beach's ability to blend its distinct communities. Rehoboth appears four times in the
Old Testament as, variously, a well dug by
Isaac (Wadi er-Ruheibeh) (Gen. 26:22), a city on the
Euphrates River (Gen. 36:37; 1 Chr. 1:48), and one of the cities of
Asshur (Gen. 10:11). Consequently, the name had obvious appeal to the religious founders of the city.
The town often bills itself as "The Nation's Summer Capital" due to the fact that it is a frequent summer vacation destination for
Washington, D.C., residents; though insiders and powerbrokers tend to flock to New Engand's Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, lower Cape, and Newport. Vacationers are drawn for many reasons, including the town's charm, artistic appeal, and relative safety. Rehoboth's white powder sand beaches are consistently ranked highly in national publications. Rehoboth's beaches are protected by a beach patrol with a distinguished record of lifesaving and competitive success. [
1] Still famous for its beaches, wooden boardwalk, eclectic shops, amusements, and sporting activities, today's Rehoboth Beach is also becoming well-known as one of the mid-Atlantic coast's most popular gay and lesbian getaways. Rehoboth Beach is thought of as the region's answer to
South Beach, Miami;
Provincetown, Massachusetts; West Street Beach,
Laguna Beach; and Little Beach,
Wailea-Makena, Maui. In addition, the town's family vacationers and residents seamlessly blend with its
gay and
lesbian vacationers and residents. [
2] [
3]
Rehoboth Beach serves as an alternative to nearby and much more industriously developed
Ocean City, Maryland. Rehoboth Beach, together with the towns of
Lewes,
Dewey Beach,
Bethany Beach,
South Bethany, and
Fenwick Island, comprises Delaware's beach resorts and is
Sussex County's most densely populated and fastest-growing area.
 |
Location of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware |
Rehoboth Beach is located at (38.715794, -75.083138).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.3
km² (1.6
mi²). 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (28.48%) is water.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,495 people, 847 households, and 343 families residing in the city. The
population density was 489.2/km² (1,266.5/mi²). There were 3,167 housing units at an average density of 1,036.3/km² (2,682.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.13%
White, 0.27%
African American, 0.13%
Native American, 0.67%
Asian, 0.54% from
other races, and 0.27% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
There were 847 households out of which 6.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were
married couples living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.4% were non-families. 47.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.71 and the average family size was 2.35.
In the city the population was spread out with 7.0% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 37.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,429, and the median income for a family was $58,558. Males had a median income of $56,250 versus $28,295 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $38,494. About 3.1% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
The town once hosted the Rehoboth Beach Pirates of the
Eastern Shore Baseball League.
*
City of Rehoboth Beach - Official Site*
Lifeguards - Rehoboth Beach Patrol - Official Site*
Rehoboth Beach Police Department*
Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce*
Rehoboth Beach Information Source*
RehobothBeachCam - live beach camera*
C.A.M.P. Rehoboth - fostering understanding and unity in Rehoboth Beach
