Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lewes, Delaware
A $807,000 home here costs
$5,448per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,149. The real number is $1,299 higher every month — 31% 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.
Lewes against Sussex County and Delaware
| Measure | Lewes | Sussex County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $806,700 | $353,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,190 | $1,171 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.271% | 0.331% |
| Median gross rent | $1,271 | $1,221 |
| Population | 3,415 | 247,799 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lewes sits in Sussex County, which averages a high of 87.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.6°F in its coldest, with 43.88" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,396 cooling and 4,070 heating degree days, which is what sets the $174 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Sussex County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Sussex County
Full Sussex County cost breakdown · Every county in Delaware
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lewes?
A $807,000 home in Lewes, Delaware costs approximately $5,448 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,149 principal and interest, $182 property tax, $202 homeowners insurance, $242 utilities and $673 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lewes?
Lewes has an effective property tax rate of 0.271%, based on a median home value of $806,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,190. That is lower than the Sussex County average of 0.331%.
What is the average home price in Lewes?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lewes, Delaware is $806,700, against $353,300 across Sussex County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lewes?
Median gross rent in Lewes is $1,271 a month, against $5,448 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 Lewes — 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.