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New Castle County · Delaware · South · 72k residents

Wilmington, DE: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for Wilmington: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Delaware median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.

Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.

The acs median home value in Wilmington is $231,400, 24% below the Delaware median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,212/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 90 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $58,671 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings
  • Housing value: The ACS median home value in Wilmington is $231,400, 24.1% below the median for ACS-covered places in Delaware.
  • Household income: Median household income is $58,671, 25.1% below the median for ACS-covered places in Delaware.
  • Adult education: 33.1% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, right around the median for ACS-covered places in Delaware.
  • Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 3.9 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.

What makes this place distinctive

A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.

A researched local story is not published for this city yet. The signals below are the verified profile context.

  • Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
  • Setting: The profile places Wilmington about 65 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
  • Climate signal: The profile records 200 sunny days and 12 inches of annual snow.
  • Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 34 and an average commute of 26 minutes.

WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.

Compare Wilmington side by side

Cost of living index

90

cheaper than 70% of US cities

ACS median home value

$231,400

24% vs state mediancheaper than 76% of US cities

2-bedroom rent

$1,212/mo

cheaper than 69% of US cities

Median household income

$58,671

25% vs state medianhigher than 18% of US cities

Housing momentum

How fast Wilmington's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.

65/100

Steady

Rents YoY: +3.6% (top 34%)Home prices YoY: +2.2% (top 37%)Home prices MoM: 0.0% (top 33%)
Momentum slowing · 5 over 2 yr

Ranks Wilmington's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.

$a year

Adjusted by Wilmington's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · Wilmington
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Real listings in Wilmington

Homes on ZillowRealtor.comRentals on ZillowApartments.com

Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.

Questions & answers
What is the cost of living in Wilmington, DE?
Wilmington indexes at 90 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,212/mo and a acs median home value of $231,400.
How much does a house cost in Wilmington?
The acs median home value in Wilmington is $231,400, 24% below the Delaware median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in Wilmington?
A two-bedroom in Wilmington rents for about $1,212/mo.