Dover, DE Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Dover, DE metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Dover, DE Market Analysis
Market Overview
Dover’s PropertyIQ Score of 48 out of 100 places the market in a moderate-to-soft position. The median home value is $372,929, which is $33,145 below the Delaware state average of $406,074. However, the median household income of $74,477 is also $10,477 below the state average of $84,954, so lower home prices do not automatically create a strong affordability advantage. The unemployment rate of 5.8% is a full percentage point above the state average of 4.8%, suggesting a softer local economy. Meanwhile, the rent index of $1,787 is $386 above the state average of $1,401, indicating relatively stronger rental market conditions.
The score’s main drivers reflect a market that has cooled after some annual growth. The 12-month home value momentum is 4.09%, but the 3-month momentum is -0.05%. Median days on market is 51 days, and 22.3% of listings have had a price cut. With 557 homes for sale, the overall picture is one of flattening price movement and reduced urgency among buyers. The listed year-over-year home value change is $6, a flat nominal figure that reinforces the cooling signal.
Key Trends
First, price momentum is flattening. The 12-month home value momentum of 4.09% shows that prices rose over the past year, but the 3-month momentum of -0.05% is slightly negative. Combined with a 22.3% share of listings with a price cut and a median days on market of 51 days, the trend points to a market where sellers face more competition and slower sales.
Second, affordability remains mixed. Dover’s median home value of $372,929 is below the state average of $406,074, but the local median household income of $74,477 is also below the state average of $84,954. The ratio of median home value to median household income is about 5.0 in Dover, compared with about 4.8 for the state average, meaning local buyers are not necessarily better positioned than the rest of Delaware.
Third, rental dynamics are stronger than the state benchmark. The rent index of $1,787 is $386 higher than the state average of $1,401, about 28% above the benchmark. Since the median home value is lower than the state average, this may support rental-focused investment.
Fourth, labor market softness is a challenge. The unemployment rate of 5.8% is one percentage point higher than the state average of 4.8%. This can weigh on homebuying demand and help explain the cooling indicators such as price cuts and 51 days on market.
Who Is This Market For
Dover may suit first-time buyers who are looking for a lower entry price relative to the state average. The median home value of $372,929 is more accessible than the state average of $406,074, though incomes are also lower. Buyers may benefit from the 51-day median days on market and the 22.3% price-cut share, which suggest more room for negotiation.
Rental property investors may also find this market appealing because the rent index of $1,787 is well above the state average of $1,401 while home values remain below the state average. The stronger rent-to-price relationship can support buy-and-hold strategies. However, the elevated unemployment rate of 5.8% relative to 4.8% statewide and the negative 3-month momentum make the market less suited for short-term flippers or anyone expecting rapid appreciation.
Outlook
The near-term outlook for Dover is cautious. The 12-month home value momentum of 4.09% shows some annual growth, but the 3-month momentum of -0.05%, 22.3% share of listings with a price cut, and 51 median days on market all point to a leveling off. Inventory of 557 homes for sale adds to a well-supplied picture. Elevated unemployment of 5.8% versus the state average of 4.8% may continue to dampen demand. Population growth data is not available, so no migration-driven demand trend can be assessed. The data supports an expectation of subdued price movement in the near term, with more favorable conditions for patient buyers and income-focused investors than for sellers seeking quick gains.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated September 30, 2026.
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Dover, DE market data
Dover, DE Housing Market Overview
Dover, DE's median home value is $373K, up 4.1% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 51 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 48 sits modestly below the state average of 50.
The Dover, DE metro area is one of 900+ US metropolitan markets that PropertyIQ scores each month. A single PropertyIQ Score blends Zillow price momentum with Realtor.com market-flow signals to estimate 3-year excess appreciation versus the market's state — showing not just where prices stand today, but how the market is positioned relative to its peers.
The South Atlantic region continues to attract domestic migration with its combination of job growth, favorable tax environments, and year-round climate. Markets range from rapidly appreciating tech corridors to established retirement destinations with strong rental demand. Within the South Atlantic, Dover, DE's PropertyIQ Score of 48 runs below the South Atlantic norm.
For the Dover, DE market, PropertyIQ calculates a single score each month from four inputs: twelve-month Zillow home-value momentum, three-month Zillow home-value momentum, median days on market from Realtor.com, and the Realtor.com price-reduced share. The score is computed nationally across all metros and calibrated so 50 equals the state average. Across the validation history, metro markets in the top score band have outperformed their state by roughly 1.7 percentage points more per year than bottom-band markets. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 4.1% over the past year.
Use PropertyIQ's interactive analytics to compare Dover, DE against any other US metro on its PropertyIQ Score and underlying metrics. Generate a free AI market report, explore historical trends on the graphs page, or see how this market ranks on the scores dashboard.
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ZIP codes in the Dover, DE metro area
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Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dover, DE a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Dover, DE currently scores 48, a easing-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to lag its state modestly over the next three years. For buyers, softening demand tends to open up negotiating room as listings sit longer and price cuts become more common. Backing that up, the median home value here is $373K, up 4.1% over the past year. So whether Dover, DE is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Dover, DE?
Dover, DE's PropertyIQ Score is 48, indicating easing momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 48 places Dover, DE below its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Dover, DE rising or falling?
Home prices in Dover, DE are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 4.1%, reaching $373K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 0.0%, a sign near-term demand is softening. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Dover, DE's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Dover, DE?
In Dover, DE, homes sell in a median of 51 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 22% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Dover, DE market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.