Delaware · main city

Buying a home in Wilmington, Delaware

In Wilmington, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $261,400, Delaware's effective property tax rate is 0.5%, and a purchase mortgage in Delaware carried a median $7,353 in total loan costs in 2025.

Data as of October 30, 2026: Census ACS 2025 1-year, FHFA HPI 2026Q2, Census ACS 2020-2024, HMDA 2025. Sources

Checked on November 4, 2026 against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

Wilmington home costs, fact by fact

The median value of owner-occupied homes in Wilmington is $261,400. (Census ACS 2025 1-year)
That figure is what owners estimate their home is worth, not a sale price. (Census ACS 2025 1-year)
The FHFA House Price Index shows Delaware prices up 3.3% and Wilmington-area prices up 2.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026. (FHFA HPI 2026Q2)
Homeowners in Delaware pay a median $1,768 a year in property tax. (Census ACS 2020-2024; Delaware property tax by county)
That is 0.5% of the median home value in Delaware, its effective property tax rate. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
Home-purchase mortgages in Delaware carried median total loan costs of $7,353 in 2025, across 10,410 loans. (HMDA 2025)
Half of those loans fell between $5,122 and $11,523. (HMDA 2025)
Delaware's realty transfer tax totals 4% of the price on the state return: 2.5% to the state and 1.5% to the county or municipality. (official sources; Delaware transfer tax)

Calculate for Wilmington

If you buy

Delaware state transfer tax

Realty transfer tax: State 2.5% of value (3% by statute, reduced to 2.5% when the local government levies the full 1.5%); combined 4.0% with a full local tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Purchase price in $

Price$261,400

State transfer tax$6,535

Share of the price2.5% of the price

Who paysShared by buyer and seller

Default price: the Wilmington median value of owner-occupied homes, $261,400 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: State share is 2.5% of the greater of consideration or highest assessed value, when the full 1.5% local tax is in place. The statute sets 3% otherwise. The first-time buyer credit is not included. Who pays: The state tax is apportioned equally between grantor and grantee; absent agreement the burden between the parties is on the grantor (30 Del. C. 5412). The contract usually settles it. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Delaware transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

Local taxes in Wilmington, on top of the amount above at $261,400: $3,921. Rates, who pays and sources: transfer tax in Wilmington.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Sale price in $

Purchase price plus improvements in $

Months owned

Filing status

Your long-term rate by taxable income

Main home, lived in at least 24 of the last 60 months

Capital gain$350,000

Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)

Taxable gain$100,000

Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen

Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Delaware state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Wilmington is $261,400, according to the Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey. That is $131,200 below the Delaware median of $392,600. The FHFA House Price Index shows prices in the Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ metro division up 2.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.

How much homes cost in Wilmington

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners how much they think their home would sell for. The median of those answers is a useful benchmark, but it is not a sale price: it covers every owner-occupied home, including homes bought long ago. Our page on Delaware home prices explains the method in detail.

Area	Median value, 2025 (ACS)	Margin of error (90%)
City of Wilmington	$261,400	±$33,302
New Castle County	$392,900	±$10,403
Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington metro area	$395,900	±$3,690
Delaware	$392,600	±$7,385
United States	$371,100	±$646

*Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2025, table B25077.

The city’s median value is far below the county’s. The city’s margin of error is wide, so the true median is very likely between about $228,100 and $294,700.

Are Wilmington prices rising?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracks repeat sales of the same single-family homes. Its purchase-only, seasonally adjusted index for the Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ metro division, published August 25, 2026, shows:

Area	1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026)	5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026)
Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ metro division	+2.1%	+39.3%
Delaware	+3.3%	+37.3%
United States	+2.1%	+33.4%

Source: FHFA House Price Index, quarterly purchase-only files. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.

The division is the Wilmington part of the Philadelphia area, not the city alone. Prices there rose in line with the nation over the past year, and faster than the nation over five years.

Closing costs, transfer tax and property tax

On top of the price, buyers and sellers pay closing costs: lender fees, the appraisal, the survey, recording fees and title insurance. Several of these depend on the loan and on the providers you choose. We do not recalculate them on this page:

Closing costs in Delaware explains who pays what and gives a worked example.
Transfer tax in Delaware explains the transfer tax rules for a sale in Delaware.
Property tax in Delaware explains how Delaware taxes a home.

To see how property tax can be paid through your monthly mortgage payment, read our guide to escrow accounts.

Help for Wilmington buyers

A Wilmington home is in New Castle County, so the county limits of the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) apply. DSHA’s website posts a maximum purchase price of $659,385 for single-family homes in New Castle County and a Welcome Home income limit of $122,700 for a household of one or two people (read October 13, 2026). At a median value of $261,400, the price limit is far above the city median, but check the limits with a lender before you make an offer.

DSHA’s housing counseling list includes agencies with Wilmington offices, which can help you prepare to buy, often at no cost to you. Our Delaware first-time buyer programs page has the full program table. We could not open the City of Wilmington’s own housing pages today, so we do not state any city amount.

Delaware guides for Wilmington buyers

Frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in Wilmington, Delaware?

The Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Wilmington at $261,400 (±$33,302). This is what owners think their home is worth, not the median sale price of recent sales.

Are home prices in Wilmington going up?

According to the FHFA purchase-only index, prices in the Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ metro division rose 2.1% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Over five years, they rose 39.3%.

Why is Wilmington cheaper than the rest of New Castle County?

The ACS figures show it: the city median is $261,400 and the county median is $392,900. The ACS tables give the levels but not the reasons for the gap.

Is there help with a down payment in Wilmington?

Yes. The Delaware State Housing Authority offers zero-interest second mortgages of 3%, 4% or 5% of the first loan with its Delaware Mortgage Program. See our first-time buyer programs page for the conditions and limits.

Where do I check taxes before I buy?

Use our pages on transfer tax and property tax in Delaware, then confirm the amounts for your address with the county or city.

More Delaware guides

Sources

Table B25077, Median Value (Dollars), ACS 1-Year Estimates 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted November 4, 2026)
2025 ACS Data Release Schedule (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
U.S. House Prices Rise 2.1 Percent Year over Year, Up 0.3 Percent Quarter over Quarter (FHFA, August 25, 2026) (consulted October 13, 2026)
FHFA House Price Index datasets, quarterly purchase-only indexes (state, metro) (consulted October 13, 2026)
Homeownership Loans (Delaware State Housing Authority) (consulted October 13, 2026)
Housing Counseling Agencies (Delaware State Housing Authority) (consulted October 13, 2026)

Questions about buying a home in Wilmington

How much is property tax in Wilmington?

Wilmington has no county figure on Payotte; across Delaware, homeowners pay a median $1,768 a year in property tax, 0.5% of the state median home value of $352,000 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Wilmington?

Home-purchase mortgages in Delaware carried median total loan costs of $7,353 in 2025; half of the 10,410 loans fell between $5,122 and $11,523 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Wilmington?

Delaware's realty transfer tax totals 4% of the price on the state return: 2.5% to the state and 1.5% to the county or municipality. The state tax is apportioned equally between buyer and seller, and a first-time buyer can cut the buyer's share by up to $2,000.

Professionals by sector of Wilmington

Who licenses each trade in Delaware

Data sources for the figures above

Table B25077, Median Value (Dollars), ACS 1-Year Estimates 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau). ACS 2025 1-year estimates, consulted October 30, 2026.
U.S. House Prices Rise 2.1 Percent Year over Year, Up 0.3 Percent Quarter over Quarter (FHFA, August 25, 2026). House Price Index, 2026Q2, consulted October 30, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B25103 (Mortgage Status by Median Real Estate Taxes Paid), B25077 (Median Value) and B25003 (Tenure). ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, 2025 loan-level data (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). 2025 loan-level data, consulted October 19, 2026.
Delaware transfer tax: statutes and official pages read by Payotte. rules in force when read, consulted October 14, 2026.

Delaware · All states · Federal guides