Delaware real estate markets
Compare 3 Delaware counties by rent, home prices and property tax, using public government data. Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.51% in Delaware and 0.52% nationwide.
Where the numbers stand out
3 counties · Swipe the table to see every column
| Market | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle County, DEWilmington rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +2.8% | +8.4% | $352,200 | $1,860 | 0.71% | 577,961 |
| Kent County, DEDover rents · Run a deal | 0.51% | +2.5% | +8.3% | $316,600 | $1,629 | 0.43% | 187,604 |
| Sussex County, DEDelaware rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | +5.3% | +9.4% | $382,600 | $1,498 | 0.32% | 255,626 |
Home prices
Home prices in Delaware rose 44% over the 5 years to Q2 2026.
- 1 year
- +4%
- 5 years
- +44%
- 10 years
- +82%
From the FHFA House Price Index for Delaware (state level), updated Mar 31, 2026. It tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes, so it shows the area's trend, not what any one home is worth. See what local prices suggest your rental is worth.
Keep looking
How to read this
Use this to shortlist, not to decide. These are county-wide figures, and a single county can hold very different neighborhoods. Check a real deal with the rental cash flow calculator.
Rent-to-price is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value. It's a rough comparison between counties. The two figures describe different homes, and the home value lags current prices, so it can look better than today's market in places where prices rose quickly.
2-bed rent is HUD's Fair Market Rent (fiscal year from Oct 1, 2026): the 40th percentile for recent movers, including utilities. HUD often uses one figure across a whole metro area, so neighboring counties can match.
Home value and population are Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates through 2024. Home values are what owners report. Counties under 10,000 people aren't listed.
Prices are the FHFA House Price Index through 2025: the latest year's change, and the average yearly change over five years. FHFA calls its county index developmental, and it doesn't cover every county.
Property tax is median taxes paid divided by median home value, from the Census. It reflects what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners, as in Florida and California.
People and jobs: income, vacant homes (seasonal homes count as vacant, which can look high in vacation areas) and renters are Census 5-year estimates. Population growth compares two Census releases five years apart. Rent ÷ income is a year of the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of median household income. Unemployment is the Bureau of Labor Statistics yearly average for 2025.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Delaware county has the highest rent-to-price ratio?
- New Castle County, at 0.53%: a 2-bedroom rent of $1,860 against a median home value of $352,200. It's a rough comparison, and a high ratio can come with slower growth or weaker demand, so check the other columns too.
- Where have Delaware home prices grown fastest?
- Sussex County, at an average of +9.4% a year over five years, on the FHFA House Price Index. Past growth doesn't predict future growth.
- Which Delaware county has the lowest property tax?
- Sussex County, at about 0.32% of home value, based on what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners.
- Where is the Delaware population growing fastest?
- Sussex County, at +2.6% a year, comparing two Census releases five years apart. These are estimates, and they're less exact for small places.
- How does Delaware compare with the rest of the US?
- Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.51% in Delaware and 0.52% nationwide. The ratio is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value.
- Are home prices going up in Delaware?
- Home prices in Delaware rose 44% over the 5 years to Q2 2026. In the latest year (to Q2 2026) they rose 4%. These figures come from the FHFA House Price Index for Delaware (state level), which tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes. It shows the trend for the area, not what any one home is worth.