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City · 6,203 residents · New Castle County, Delaware

Elsmere , Delaware

In Elsmere, a typical home is worth $225,800 and typical rent is $1,339 a month. Compared with all of New Castle County, the typical home value is 36% lower and typical household income is 25% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $225,800

    36% below the county

    36% below Delaware

    • Elsmere
    • New Castle
    • Delaware

  • Typical rent

    $1,339a month

    8% below the county

    4% below Delaware

    • Elsmere
    • New Castle
    • Delaware

  • Typical household income

    $67,944a year

    25% below the county

    20% below Delaware

    • Elsmere
    • New Castle
    • Delaware

  • Households that own their home

    66%

    3 points below the county

    7 points below Delaware

    • Elsmere
    • New Castle
    • Delaware

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$236,500
about the same as 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Elsmere is in New Castle County. The FHA loan limit ($630,200 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of New Castle County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Elsmere apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical home in Elsmere is worth $225,800, 36% less than in New Castle County as a whole ($352,200).

  2. Elsmere has the 2nd largest share of rent-burdened renters of the 19 cities in Delaware with more than 5,000 people (67%).

  3. The typical household income in Elsmere is $67,944, 25% less than in New Castle County as a whole ($91,166).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Elsmere

What homes there are in Elsmere, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Elsmere there is a bit of everything: no kind of home reaches half. The most common are attached houses (townhouses) (38%), more than in New Castle County (21%).

Year built

In Elsmere, half of the homes were built before 1956; in New Castle County, before 1975.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,457 a month

New Castle County: $1,882 a month

Without a mortgage

$466 a month

New Castle County: $616 a month

Owners with a mortgage

69%

New Castle County: 67%

Owning costs less in Elsmere: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,457 a month; in New Castle County, $1,882. Without one, $466.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in Elsmere gained value more slowly than in New Castle County: 29% since 2015–2019, against 35%.

The typical rent in Elsmere rose 29% over the same time; in New Castle County, it rose 25%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureElsmereNew Castle CountyDelawareUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate5.0%5.0%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.7%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.0%2.1%3.4%
People per household 2.772.512.482.53
Drive alone 80%69%72%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate7%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate3%2%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%2%3%
Work from home 10%18%15%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More people live in each home here: 2.77 on average, against 2.51 in New Castle County.

To get to work, 80% of workers in Elsmere drive alone; in New Castle County, 69%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Elsmere?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Elsmere, worth $225,800, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 33% of the typical household income in Elsmere, which is $67,944 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $79,213 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of New Castle County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Elsmere. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,903 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,848

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$221,710
Total interest
$318,989
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,813 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,585 a month

  • Tight

    $1,585 to $2,038 a month

    Your payment · 33%

  • Hard

    more than $2,038 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Elsmere ($67,944 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,848
Principal & interest$1,502
Property tax$152
Home insurance$94
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$100

You need at least $7,903 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Elsmere and New Castle County

Elsmere is in New Castle County, Delaware. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Elsmere's own numbers

Typical home value
$225,800
Typical monthly rent
$1,339
Typical yearly household income
$67,944
Households that own their home
66%
Effective property tax rate
0.81%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of New Castle County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$630,200
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,860
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+50%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.1%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of New Castle County.

Everything about New Castle County

Buying

Buying a home in Elsmere

A typical home in Elsmere is worth $225,800: 36% below the county and 36% below Delaware. With the typical household income in Elsmere ($67,944 a year), a typical home costs 3.3 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Elsmere 3.3 years
  • New Castle 3.9 years
  • Delaware 4.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in New Castle County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in New Castle County rose 72% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of New Castle County.

Period County Delaware U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.8% +3.2% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +50% +51% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +72% +74% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Elsmere next to New Castle County, Delaware and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Elsmere $225,800
  • New Castle $352,200
  • Delaware $352,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Elsmere $1,339
  • New Castle $1,448
  • Delaware $1,401
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Elsmere $67,944
  • New Castle $91,166
  • Delaware $84,954
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Elsmere next to New Castle County and Delaware
Measure Elsmere New Castle County Delaware U.S.
Typical home value $225,800 $352,200 $352,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,339 $1,448 $1,401 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $67,944 $91,166 $84,954 $80,734
Households that own their home 66% 69% 73% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,834 $2,499 $1,768 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.81% 0.71% 0.5% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 67% 48% 50% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below New Castle County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Elsmere

For a typical $225,800 home in Elsmere, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Elsmere's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,848a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,903
    Cash to close
    $14,677
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $100

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,807a month

    Down payment
    $11,290
    Cash to close
    $18,064
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $107

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,470a month

    Down payment
    $45,160
    Cash to close
    $51,934
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,679a month

    Down payment
    $33,870
    Cash to close
    $40,644
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Elsmere and for New Castle County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Elsmere

0.81%of the home’s value each year

$1,834 a year for the typical owner in Elsmere.

  • Elsmere 0.81%
  • New Castle 0.71%
  • Delaware 0.5%

What Delaware publishes School property tax credit for owners 65 and older (Delaware Department of Finance)

Exemptions and deadlines in Delaware

Flood risk in New Castle County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of New Castle County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.1%
2,006
Of those, with NFIP insurance
45%
County Delaware U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.1% 5.7% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 45% 58% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Elsmere

Typical rent in Elsmere is $1,339 a month: 8% below the county. In Elsmere, 67% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of New Castle County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,860 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $35.77 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of New Castle County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,438 $27.65 $57,520
1 bedroom $1,558 $29.96 $62,320
2 bedrooms $1,860 $35.77 $74,400
3 bedrooms $2,216 $42.62 $88,640
4 bedrooms $2,445 $47.02 $97,800

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Elsmere

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Elsmere has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,570 in 19804 to $1,580 in 19805.

None is above the fair market rent for New Castle County ($1,860).

  • 19804 $1,570$1,870
  • 19805 $1,580$1,880

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Elsmere when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Elsmere

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 6 HUD-approved agencies with an office in New Castle County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

A grandmother pushes her grandson on a playground swing.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Elsmere

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Elsmere or New Castle County. The ones below are statewide in Delaware: they work in Elsmere the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Delaware

  • Home Sweet Home

    Statewide in Delaware

    Delaware state authority second loan of $12,000 at 0%, forgiven 10% for each year you live in the home (all of it after 10 years), for homes up to $285,000; the agency announced it as a temporary program. Offered by Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

  • Keys4You Home Loan

    Statewide in Delaware

    Delaware state authority 0% second mortgage equal to 4% of your mortgage, for the down payment and closing costs, with no monthly payments until you sell, refinance or stop living in the home; with the Welcome Home (first-time buyers) or Open Door (any buyer) mortgages. Offered by Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Take5 Home Loan

    Statewide in Delaware

    Delaware state authority 0% second mortgage equal to 5% of your mortgage, for the down payment and closing costs, with no monthly payments until you sell, refinance or stop living in the home; only with the Welcome Home mortgage for first-time buyers. Offered by Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Elsmere

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Elsmere, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • CCCS of Delaware Valley, DBA Clarifi

    710 North Lincoln Street, Wilmington · 2 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 2 more
    (800) 989-2227

  • Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware

    613 N Washington St, Wilmington · 2 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (302) 652-3991

  • Housing Opportunities of Northern Delaware, Inc.

    100 W 10th St Ste 1001, Wilmington · 2 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 9 more
    (302) 429-0794

Every agency in New Castle County All counseling agencies in Delaware

Help in Spanish near Elsmere

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Elsmere

HUD’s record names them for Elsmere or New Castle County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • New Castle County Housing Authority Section 8 vouchers (302) 395-5672

2 other authorities have an office in New Castle County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in New Castle County

These cities are also in New Castle County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about New Castle County Housing in Delaware
See 2 more cities in New Castle County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Elsmere, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If New Castle County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Elsmere.

All guides
A mother smiles as she carries her young daughter on her shoulders (black and white).

Questions

Housing questions about Elsmere

Short answers with the numbers for Elsmere and all of New Castle County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Elsmere?

The typical home value in Elsmere is $225,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in New Castle County it is $352,200.

How much does it cost to rent in Elsmere?

Typical rent in Elsmere is $1,339 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in New Castle County is $1,860.

What is the FHA loan limit in Elsmere?

Elsmere uses the FHA limit for all of New Castle County (2026): $630,200 for a one-unit home and $1,211,950 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Elsmere?

The typical homeowner in Elsmere pays $1,834 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.81% of the home’s value; in New Castle County, the rate is 0.71%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Elsmere?

There are 6 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in New Castle County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).