New Castle County, Delaware property tax
The median homeowner in New Castle County, Delaware pays $2,444 a year in property tax on a home worth $329,800, an effective rate of 0.74%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.74%, New Castle County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. With a median home at $329,800, that produces a bill of $2,444. Somebody still funds the schools, so it is worth knowing what a low-tax county collects instead.
Inside Delaware it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #1 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 3.67 times the median household income of $89,901, close to the national 3.86. Incomes here run above the national median, which is what keeps that ratio ordinary despite the house prices. At 573,030 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
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
| New Castle County | Delaware | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.74% | 0.53% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,444 | $1,731 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $329,800 | $326,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,379 | $1,341 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $89,901 | $82,855 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.67× | 3.94× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.41% | 19.42% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 68.51% | 72.27% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 573,030.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | 0.33% | $1,171 | $353,300 |
| Kent County | 0.46% | $1,331 | $290,600 |
New Castle County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in New Castle County, Delaware?
The effective rate is 0.74% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,444 against a median home value of $329,800. That is 0.24 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in New Castle County?
Roughly $2,960 a year at the county effective rate of 0.74%.
Is New Castle County expensive compared with the rest of Delaware?
It ranks #1 of 3 Delaware counties by effective property tax rate, and #1610 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.21 points above the Delaware average of 0.53%.
What does housing cost in New Castle County?
The median home is worth $329,800 and median gross rent is $1,379 a month. Median household income is $89,901, which puts the home at 3.67 times annual income and rent at 18.41% of it.