Rent Trends / DE
Rent Trends in Delaware: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 13 cities in Delaware. The average across tracked cities is $2,169/month in 2026, up from $1,069 in 2015 (+102.9%). That sits $207 above (+10.6% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,962 (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 ($1,962/month in June 2026, up from $1,357 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Delaware has risen from about $1,771 to $2,169 (+22.5%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +11.5% ($1,945 → $2,169).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Wilmington (+79.8%, $1,002 → $1,802). 2 of 13 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 — $1,654
- New Castle — $1,669
- Claymont — $1,673
- Wilmington — $1,802 (+79.8% since 2015)
- Milford — $2,021
Highest 2026 rents
- Bridgeville — $3,032
- Middletown — $2,773
- Rehoboth Beach — $2,575
- Ocean View — $2,399
- Lewes — $2,339
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 | $1,002 | $1,051 | $1,049 | $1,081 | $1,130 | $1,173 | $1,245 | $1,427 | $1,519 | $1,599 | $1,710 | $1,802 | +79.8% | |
| Newark | $1,136 | $1,168 | $1,193 | $1,234 | $1,278 | $1,331 | $1,386 | $1,608 | $1,743 | $1,824 | $1,925 | $2,029 | +78.6% | |
| Dover | — | — | $978 | $1,036 | $1,052 | $1,094 | $1,230 | $1,439 | $1,511 | $1,563 | $1,590 | $1,654 | +69.1% | |
| New Castle | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,669 | +0.0% | |
| Middletown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,591 | $2,773 | +7.0% | |
| Bear | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,530 | $1,809 | $1,981 | $1,972 | $2,000 | $2,146 | +40.3% | |
| Lewes | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,102 | $2,226 | $2,205 | $2,339 | +11.3% | |
| Millsboro | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,081 | +0.0% | |
| Milford | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,021 | +0.0% | |
| Claymont | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,595 | $1,673 | +4.9% | |
| Rehoboth Beach | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,575 | +0.0% | |
| Bridgeville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,032 | +0.0% | |
| Ocean View | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,399 | +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?
Not compared with the U.S. overall. The average rent across 13 tracked Delaware cities is about $2,169/month — $207 above (+10.6% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962. Cheaper pockets still exist inside the state; sort the table by 2026 rent to find them.
What city in Delaware has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Dover is the lowest at about $1,654/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include New Castle ($1,669), Claymont ($1,673), Wilmington ($1,802).
What city in Delaware has the most expensive rent?
Bridgeville leads our sample at about $3,032/month in 2026, followed by Middletown ($2,773) and Rehoboth Beach ($2,575).
How much have rents in Delaware changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $1,069 in 2015 to $2,169 in 2026 (+102.9%). 2 of 13 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Wilmington (+79.8%).
Are rents in Delaware still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Delaware cities went from about $1,945 to $2,169 (+11.5%). Since 2023 ($1,771), that is +22.5%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.