Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Dover, Delaware
A $249,000 home here costs
$1,916per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,280. The real number is $636 higher every month — 50% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Dover against Kent County and Delaware
| Measure | Dover | Kent County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $248,500 | $290,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,479 | $1,331 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.595% | 0.458% |
| Median gross rent | $1,252 | $1,285 |
| Population | 39,491 | 185,043 |
The weather behind that power bill
Dover sits in Kent County, which averages a high of 86.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.6°F in its coldest, with 47.61" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,334 cooling and 4,195 heating degree days, which is what sets the $174 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Kent County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Kent County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Dover?
A $249,000 home in Dover, Delaware costs approximately $1,916 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,280 principal and interest, $123 property tax, $62 homeowners insurance, $242 utilities and $208 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Dover?
Dover has an effective property tax rate of 0.595%, based on a median home value of $248,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,479. That is higher than the Kent County average of 0.458%.
What is the average home price in Dover?
The median owner-occupied home value in Dover, Delaware is $248,500, against $290,600 across Kent County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dover?
Median gross rent in Dover is $1,252 a month, against $1,916 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Dover — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Delaware.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.