Sussex County, Delaware property tax
The median homeowner in Sussex County, Delaware pays $1,171 a year in property tax on a home worth $353,300, an effective rate of 0.33%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.33%, Sussex County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. A low rate on an expensive house is not the bargain it looks like. The median bill is still $1,171, because 0.33% of $353,300 is not a small number.
Inside Delaware it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #3 of 3, against a statewide 0.53%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 4.52 times the median household income of $78,162, close to the national 3.86. The county has 247,799 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
| Sussex County | Delaware | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.33% | 0.53% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,171 | $1,731 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $353,300 | $326,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,221 | $1,341 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $78,162 | $82,855 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 4.52× | 3.94× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.75% | 19.42% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 81.27% | 72.27% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 247,799.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 0.46% | $1,331 | $290,600 |
| New Castle County | 0.74% | $2,444 | $329,800 |
Sussex County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Sussex County, Delaware?
The effective rate is 0.33% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,171 against a median home value of $353,300. That is 0.65 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Sussex County?
Roughly $1,320 a year at the county effective rate of 0.33%.
Is Sussex County expensive compared with the rest of Delaware?
It ranks #3 of 3 Delaware counties by effective property tax rate, and #2747 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.2 points below the Delaware average of 0.53%.
What does housing cost in Sussex County?
The median home is worth $353,300 and median gross rent is $1,221 a month. Median household income is $78,162, which puts the home at 4.52 times annual income and rent at 18.75% of it.