Kent County, Delaware property tax
The median homeowner in Kent County, Delaware pays $1,331 a year in property tax on a home worth $290,600, an effective rate of 0.46%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.46%, Kent County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. That puts the median bill at $1,331. Rates this low usually mean the state, rather than the county, carries more of the school funding.
Inside Delaware it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #2 of 3, against a statewide 0.53%. At the other end of the same state, Sussex County charges 0.33%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 3.99 times the median household income of $72,872, close to the national 3.86. The county has 185,043 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Kent County | Delaware | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.46% | 0.53% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,331 | $1,731 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $290,600 | $326,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,285 | $1,341 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $72,872 | $82,855 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.99× | 3.94× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21.16% | 19.42% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 70.97% | 72.27% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 185,043.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | 0.33% | $1,171 | $353,300 |
| New Castle County | 0.74% | $2,444 | $329,800 |
Kent County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Kent County, Delaware?
The effective rate is 0.46% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,331 against a median home value of $290,600. That is 0.52 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Kent County?
Roughly $1,840 a year at the county effective rate of 0.46%.
Is Kent County expensive compared with the rest of Delaware?
It ranks #2 of 3 Delaware counties by effective property tax rate, and #2529 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.07 points below the Delaware average of 0.53%.
What does housing cost in Kent County?
The median home is worth $290,600 and median gross rent is $1,285 a month. Median household income is $72,872, which puts the home at 3.99 times annual income and rent at 21.16% of it.