Moving to Blades: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Blades means moving to a real, small Sussex County town directly on the Nanticoke River across from Seaford, with a genuine, historic river-town identity weighed honestly against a real, disclosed cross-source disagreement on whether the town's population is growing or shrinking.
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Learn moreA real, historic Nanticoke River-side identity
Blades was first known as 'Bladesville,' named for railroad pioneer James Blades, chartered in 1910, and formally incorporated as the Town of Blades on March 10, 1915. It is also believed to be the first Delaware town to elect a woman mayor, Margaret Hastings, in 1947. The town sits directly across the Nanticoke River from Seaford, linked by the historic Nanticoke River Bridge (base record).
A genuinely mixed, disclosed population picture
One 2026 projection put Blades' population at approximately 1,405, up from 1,179 at the 2020 Census, while a separate demographic-projection source cited a distinctly lower estimate of approximately 977 -- a real, disclosed cross-source disagreement this record does not resolve to one directional growth claim (base record).
Genuinely affordable housing
Blades' median home price runs approximately $211,296 (Zillow), genuinely affordable relative to several other Delaware towns this dataset has documented, alongside Sussex County's own very low ~0.32% effective property tax rate (base record).
A close relationship with Seaford, and a river-flood consideration
Blades functions largely as a smaller residential neighbor to Seaford's own larger job base and services across the Nanticoke River, while carrying real, disclosed riverine flooding exposure given its direct river-side position -- confirm current flood-zone status directly (base record).
Key takeaways
- Blades is a real, historic Nanticoke River town, incorporated in 1915, believed to be the first Delaware town to elect a woman mayor (1947).
- Blades' 2026 population estimate runs genuinely mixed across sources (1,405 versus 977) -- this record does not resolve that disagreement to one growth claim.
- Housing runs genuinely affordable (approximately $211,296 median), alongside Sussex County's very low ~0.32% property tax rate.
- Blades' direct Nanticoke River-side position carries real, disclosed flood risk, and most residents rely on neighboring Seaford for jobs and services.
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