Wilmington Home Prices: $390K, Up 3.6% — 10 ZIPs Analyzed (2026)

$390,254. That’s the typical home in Wilmington as of February 2026, up 3.6% from a year ago. Prices have moved up every single month for the past year, with no sign of a stall.

Quick answer: The average home price in Wilmington, DE is $390,254 as of February 2026, up 3.6% year over year according to Zillow.

Current Home Prices in Wilmington

The Wilmington market has been quietly steady. No crash, no spike — just a slow, continuous climb. Twelve months ago the typical home was worth $376,723. Today it’s worth $390,254. That’s a gain of $13,531, or 3.6%.

The spread between the cheapest and priciest neighborhoods is wide. A home in the most affordable ZIP runs $177,851. A home in the priciest one runs $1,064,762. That’s a six-fold gap inside one city of roughly 73,000 people.

For context, you’re looking at a city sitting inside the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro. Prices here are well below the Philly suburbs across the state line, but the upper end — driven by ZIP 19807 — competes with anything in the region.

The trend has no inflection point. Each month adds roughly $1,000 to $2,000 to the typical value. That kind of straight-line growth is unusual. Most metros saw flat or declining stretches in 2025. Wilmington didn’t.

Wilmington Home Prices by Neighborhood

Ten ZIP codes cover the city and its immediate suburbs. The price gap between them is the most important thing to understand about this market.

Most Expensive

ZIP 19807 sits in a category of its own at $1,064,762 — nearly 2.7x the city median, and more than double the next ZIP. 19803 comes in second at $494,461, a noticeable step up from the rest of the city. 19810 rounds out the top three at $455,295, where the $2,134 average rent is the highest tracked in the city.

Most Affordable

The cheapest ZIP is 19801 at $177,851, which is less than half the city median. 19802 is close behind at $201,051. 19805 comes in third at $215,150 with rent at $1,677. All three sit well under the city average and offer the lowest entry points in Wilmington.

Rent vs Buy in Wilmington

Rent data is available for 7 of the 10 ZIPs. The average across them is about $1,791 per month. The cheapest tracked rent is $1,655 in 19802. The priciest is $2,134 in 19810.

Now compare that to buying. A $390,254 home with 20% down ($78,051) leaves a $312,203 loan. At a 7% 30-year rate that’s roughly $2,077 in principal and interest alone. Add property taxes (Delaware is moderate, but figure $300-$400 monthly), insurance ($150), and you’re at $2,500-$2,650 a month before any maintenance.

Renting wins by $700-$850 per month on cash flow. The case for buying rests entirely on appreciation and equity build-up. With prices rising 3.6% annually, a buyer gains about $14,000 in value per year — but pays roughly $9,000-$10,000 more than renting over those same 12 months.

The break-even point depends on how long you stay. Under five years, renting almost certainly comes out ahead in Wilmington today.

Population Growth and Migration

Wilmington is gaining people. After a small dip in 2021, the city has added residents every year since.

The four-year growth rate is 3.3%. That’s not explosive, but it’s positive — and it’s the kind of slow demand growth that tends to support prices without overheating the market. The 2024 gain alone (1,050 residents) was the largest single-year jump in the series.

Compare to nearby Newark, the only other Delaware city tracked here. Wilmington’s growth pattern is steadier, while its housing supply at the urban core (ZIPs 19801, 19802, 19805) keeps starter prices below $220,000.

The combination matters. Cities that gain people while keeping a meaningful stock of sub-$250K homes are increasingly rare on the East Coast. Wilmington qualifies. That’s the structural reason prices have moved up every month for a year — demand is real, and there’s a price ladder for it to climb.

Wilmington Housing Market Trends

Twelve straight months of gains. Here’s the full series.

The most recent three months added $2,614 — the strongest 3-month run in the series. Momentum is accelerating slightly, not slowing. The cheapest ZIP (19801) has gained $7,594 in 12 months, while the top ZIP (19807) added almost $62,000.

Strength is broad. The bottom isn’t being left behind. The top isn’t pulling away. Every tracked ZIP has higher values now than a year ago.

Is Wilmington a Good Place to Buy in 2026?

If you can stay seven or more years, the math works. You’d need roughly $78,000 down on a median home and an income comfortable with $2,500+ in monthly housing costs. The 3.6% annual appreciation isn’t going to make anyone rich, but it’s reliable.

If you’re a short-term buyer or undecided about how long you’ll stay, rent. Wilmington rent is genuinely affordable relative to home prices here. You’re not throwing money away when the gap is $700+ a month.

For investors, the rent-to-price ratio is workable in the cheaper ZIPs. A $215,150 home in 19805 renting for $1,677 yields a gross 9.4% — strong by East Coast standards. The expensive ZIPs (19807, 19803, 19810) don’t pencil out for cash flow.

The market is a mild seller’s market on price (rising values, no inventory crash signal in the data). It’s a buyer’s market on negotiation room compared to 2021-2022 mania. Both can be true.

Wilmington Housing Market Outlook for 2026-2027

The 3-month trend suggests continued gains into mid-2026. Values rose $2,614 from December to February — about $870 per month. If the current pace continues, Wilmington’s median crosses $400,000 by late summer 2026.

Nothing in the data points to a reversal. Twelve consecutive monthly gains, broad-based price strength across all 10 ZIPs, and a population that grew by 1,050 in 2024 alone — these all point one direction.

Risks aren’t visible in this dataset. Mortgage rates, wider Philadelphia metro conditions, and inventory swings could all shift the picture. But based purely on the trajectory of the past 12 months, the next 6 months look more like the last 6.

Similar Markets in DE

• Newark — the other major Delaware city worth checking if you’re comparing university-adjacent submarkets to Wilmington’s mix of urban core and suburban ZIPs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average home price in Wilmington?

The average home price in Wilmington, DE is $390,254 as of February 2026. That’s the Zillow Home Value Index across 10 tracked ZIP codes. Individual neighborhoods range from $177,851 in ZIP 19801 to $1,064,762 in ZIP 19807.

Are home prices going up or down in Wilmington?

Up. Prices are 3.6% higher than a year ago, and they have risen every single month for the past 12 months. The most recent quarter added $2,614 to the median, the strongest 3-month run in the available data.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Wilmington?

Renting wins on monthly cost. The average rent across 7 tracked ZIPs is about $1,791, while all-in ownership on a median $390,254 home runs roughly $2,500-$2,650 monthly. Buying makes sense if you stay 7+ years and want appreciation; renting wins for shorter horizons.

What is the most affordable neighborhood in Wilmington?

ZIP 19801 in central Wilmington at $177,851. It’s less than half the city median. ZIP 19802 ($201,051) and 19805 ($215,150) round out the three most affordable areas, all under $220,000.

Methodology

Home values are based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a smoothed measure of typical home values in the 35th to 65th percentile range. Rent estimates use the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (2020-2024 vintage). All datasets are publicly available. Housing data updated 2026-02-28.