Wilmington, DE — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Delaware·Wilmington

New Castle County · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington · population 73,176

Wilmington, DE
Image: Wikipedia · Wilmington, Delaware
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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68
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Wilmington stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $327,117
1-year +2.5%
5-yr CAGR +5.0%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$327k$191k$241k$290k$340k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
64/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,847/mo$1,244$1,601$1,958202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent128140100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.8
Buy

At a 14.8 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Wilmington on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.8 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
63 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
61 · w16%
Rent YoY
69 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
59 · w10%
Long thesis

Wilmington has held up across the cycle: home values at $327,117 with +5.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Wilmington's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Wilmington

Wilmington is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, with an estimated population of 73,176. It anchors the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area. The population grew 0.8% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Wilmington is $327,117 as of 2026-04, up 2.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Wilmington average $1,847 per month, up 3.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 68 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.0% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.5% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Wilmington (Wikipedia)

Wilmington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It lies at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. The population was 70,898 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities near the Delaware Valley metropolitan area.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorJohn Carney (D)
Area17.19 sq mi
Elevation92 ft
SettledMarch 1638 as Fort Christina and Christi
Motto"In the middle of it all"
Density6510.38/sq mi
Named forSpencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for New Castle County right now.

NWS active alerts (DE)Delaware Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. New Castle County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Wilmington

35 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Greenville$1,131,106+6.8%
2Brandywine Hills$517,915+6.0%
3Wawaset$461,189+2.3%
4The Highlands$402,074+5.3%
5Forty Acres$389,318+3.1%
6Happy Valley$368,505+2.4%
7Triangle$352,483+3.1%
8Midtown Brandywine$329,457+4.4%
9Cool Spring$322,614+2.6%
10Trolley Square$251,824+2.4%
11Southeast 9th Ward$232,662-2.5%
12Harlan$231,649+1.0%
13Edgemoor$231,531+3.0%
14Greenhill$230,867+0.2%
15Flats$230,273-0.3%
16Bayard Square$223,689-0.2%
17Union Park Gardens$217,863-1.4%
18West Hill$216,227+1.5%
19Eastlawn$208,968+0.1%
20Trinity Vicinity$197,310-0.1%
219th Ward Area$196,098-3.9%
22Loma$194,561-0.4%
23Little Italy$189,634+4.5%
24Saint Elizabeth Area$184,776-1.7%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Wilmington

Newark, DE67 · RisingDover, DE68 · RisingSmyrna, DE70 · RisingMiddletown, DE72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Wilmington

ToolCan I afford Wilmington?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Wilmington rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Wilmington to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWilmington cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
42° / 25°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 68°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
205
~56% of year
Annual precip
46″ rain
16″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Wilmington listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$79,300
Delaware state median
Top industries (state-level)
Finance/BankingPharmaChemicals

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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