Home›Property Tax›Delaware›New Castle County
County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in New Castle County, Delaware

New Castle County has an effective property tax rate of 0.71%. On the median home value of $352,200, that's roughly $2,499 per year. Median household income is $91,166.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.71%
median tax $2,499 ÷ median home $352,200
Median Home Value1
$352,200
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$91,166
per-capita $47,777
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,499
at 0.71% 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.

MetricNew Castle CountyDelaware (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.71%0.43%
Median home value1$352,200—
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 New Castle County, DE

New Castle County carries a median annual property tax bill of $2,499, based on a median home value of $352,200 and an effective rate of 0.710%. That rate sits well above Delaware's statewide median of 0.431%, placing the county first among the state's three counties for property tax burden. Against the national median of 0.794%, however, it still lands below average. Households here earn a median of $91,166, with per-capita income at $47,777. Wilmington, the county's largest city, anchors a jurisdiction that spans Newark and Bear as well. The picture that emerges is a county taxing more aggressively than its own state but less than the country as a whole — a middle position that reflects Delaware's generally light property taxes rather than any unusual local appetite for levies.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in New Castle County, DE?
The effective rate is 0.71% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.71% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($352,200), the estimated annual bill is about $2,499.
Is New Castle 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 New Castle 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 New Castle 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.