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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Kent County, Delaware

Kent County has an effective property tax rate of 0.43%. On the median home value of $316,600, that's roughly $1,363 per year. Median household income is $74,477.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.43%
median tax $1,363 ÷ median home $316,600
Median Home Value1
$316,600
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$74,477
per-capita $36,191
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,363
at 0.43% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricKent CountyDelaware (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.43%0.43%
Median home value1$316,600—
State income tax3top rate 6.60%top rate 6.60%
State sales tax30.00% combined0.00% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Kent County, DE

Buying in Kent County, Delaware, means weighing a median home value of $316,600 against an annual property tax bill of about $1,363. That works out to an effective rate of 0.431%, which matches the statewide median but sits well under the national figure of 0.794%. Among Delaware's three counties, Kent ranks second for property tax rate. With median household income at $74,477 and per-capita income at $36,191, the yearly tax obligation is a fairly contained expense relative to earnings. Dover, the county's largest city and home to Dover Air Force Base, anchors much of the local housing stock alongside Camden Wyoming. Anyone comparing markets will find that Kent County pairs mid-range purchase prices with a tax load that stays close to Delaware's norm, an appealing combination for buyers who want predictable carrying costs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Kent County, DE?
The effective rate is 0.43% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.43% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($316,600), the estimated annual bill is about $1,363.
Is Kent County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.43% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Kent County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Kent County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.