Rent Trends / DE
Rent Trends in Delaware: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 10 cities in Delaware. The average across tracked cities is $2,067/month in 2026, up from $1,117 in 2015 (+85.0%). That sits $102 above (+5.2% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (June 2026)
What the Delaware rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Delaware from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Delaware and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Delaware has risen from about $1,799 to $2,067 (+14.9%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +5.5% ($1,959 → $2,067).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Wilmington (+79.7%, $1,042 → $1,872). 2 of 10 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Delaware
Lowest 2026 rents
- Dover — $1,619
- Claymont — $1,628
- New Castle — $1,747
- Wilmington — $1,872 (+79.7% since 2015)
- Milford — $2,092
Highest 2026 rents
- Middletown — $2,733
- Felton — $2,350
- Bear — $2,345
- Lewes — $2,170
- Newark — $2,113 (+77.3% since 2015)
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Delaware cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | $1,042 | $1,092 | $1,091 | $1,123 | $1,175 | $1,219 | $1,294 | $1,484 | $1,579 | $1,666 | $1,778 | $1,872 | +79.7% | |
| Newark | $1,192 | $1,229 | $1,249 | $1,296 | $1,340 | $1,394 | $1,452 | $1,685 | $1,826 | $1,910 | $2,020 | $2,113 | +77.3% | |
| Dover | — | — | $961 | $1,018 | $1,034 | $1,075 | $1,210 | $1,415 | $1,481 | $1,536 | $1,560 | $1,619 | +68.5% | |
| New Castle | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,747 | +0.0% | |
| Middletown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,539 | $2,733 | +7.6% | |
| Bear | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,656 | $1,957 | $2,143 | $2,136 | $2,174 | $2,345 | +41.6% | |
| Lewes | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,967 | $2,090 | $2,076 | $2,170 | +10.3% | |
| Milford | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,092 | +0.0% | |
| Claymont | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,564 | $1,628 | +4.1% | |
| Felton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,350 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Delaware rent
Is Delaware cheap to rent in 2026?
It depends which city you pick. The average across 10 tracked Delaware cities is about $2,067/month — $102 above (+5.2% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. Use the city table for local prices; the national typical rent is $1,965/month as of June 2026.
What city in Delaware has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Dover is the lowest at about $1,619/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Claymont ($1,628), New Castle ($1,747), Wilmington ($1,872).
What city in Delaware has the most expensive rent?
Middletown leads our sample at about $2,733/month in 2026, followed by Felton ($2,350) and Bear ($2,345).
How much have rents in Delaware changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $1,117 in 2015 to $2,067 in 2026 (+85.0%). 2 of 10 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Wilmington (+79.7%).
Are rents in Delaware still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Delaware cities went from about $1,959 to $2,067 (+5.5%). Since 2023 ($1,799), that is +14.9%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.