Section 8 Rent Limits in Delaware for FY2027: Fair Market Rent for Every County
What Section 8 pays in Delaware depends on the county. HUD sets a Fair Market Rent for each of the state's 3 counties (grouped into 2 metro and non-metro FMR areas), and every housing authority in Delaware builds its payment standard from that figure. For fiscal year 2027, the 2-bedroom FMR runs from $1,498 in Sussex County to $1,860 in New Castle County, a real gap. The statewide median county sits at $1,629.
Year over year, 3 of the 3 counties with figures in both years went up and 0 went down. Kent County had the biggest jump, $1,470 to $1,629 (+10.8%). One metro in Delaware is on HUD's mandatory Small Area FMR list (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD), where the limit is set ZIP code by ZIP code instead of by county; the county figure there is only an average.
How the number becomes your rent limit. The FMR is HUD's estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) for a modest unit in the area. Your housing authority publishes a payment standard for each bedroom size, between 90% and 110% of the FMR. You pay roughly 30% of adjusted monthly income; the voucher covers the rest up to the payment standard. If the unit's gross rent is above the standard, you pay the difference, but a new lease cannot leave your share above 40% of income.
FY2027 Fair Market Rents by Metro Area in Delaware
HUD groups counties into FMR areas; a metro's figure applies to every county inside it. "ZIP-level" marks mandatory Small Area FMR metros.
| FMR area | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2 BR vs FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | $1,286 | $1,294 | $1,629 | $2,244 | $2,590 | +10.8% |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (ZIP-level) | $1,438 | $1,558 | $1,860 | $2,216 | $2,445 | +2.8% |
FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Every County in Delaware
All 3 counties, alphabetical. Studio figures are in the metro table above.
| County | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2 BR vs FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | $1,294 | $1,629 | $2,244 | $2,590 | +10.8% |
| New Castle County | $1,558 | $1,860 | $2,216 | $2,445 | +2.8% |
| Sussex County | $1,147 | $1,498 | $1,843 | $2,222 | +7.1% |
Where the Limit Moved Most From FY2026 to FY2027
Biggest increases (2-bedroom):
| County | FY2026 | FY2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | $1,470 | $1,629 | +10.8% |
| Sussex County | $1,399 | $1,498 | +7.1% |
| New Castle County | $1,810 | $1,860 | +2.8% |
HUD caps a one-year decrease at 10%, so a county showing exactly -10.0% hit the floor. A lower FMR does not change an existing lease; it narrows the band for new leases and rent increases, and a reduced payment standard reaches a family already housed only at its second annual reexamination after the change.
Where a Voucher Beats the Market in Delaware
Comparing HUD's 2-bedroom limit to Zillow's observed rent in the same ZIP code shows where a voucher actually stretches. No Delaware metro with enough data has a positive median: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington comes closest, with the typical ZIP's limit -10.0% against market rent and 13% of its ZIPs above the going rent. "Median premium" is the typical ZIP's rent limit minus market rent, as a percent of market rent.
| Metro | ZIPs with data | Median premium | ZIPs above market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 15 | -10.0% | 13% |
Even where the median is negative, the ZIPs above market are where voucher tenants and landlords match fastest. The national ranking is in our voucher-vs-market analysis.
The Largest Housing Authorities in Delaware
Which authority issued your voucher decides which payment standard applies. The biggest programs in the state:
- Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) (Wilmington), about 2,300 vouchers, (302) 429-6701, whadelaware.org (waitlist reported closed, details)
- New Castle County Housing Authority (New Castle), about 2,000 vouchers, (302) 395-5672
- Delaware State Housing Authority (Dover), about 1,300 vouchers, (302) 739-4263
- Dover Housing Authority (Dover), about 290 vouchers, (302) 678-1965
- Newark Housing Authority (Newark), about 220 vouchers, (302) 366-0826
Can a Landlord Refuse a Voucher in Delaware?
No. Delaware protects source of income statewide (Delaware Fair Housing Act, 6 Del. C. §4601 (voucher exemption repealed effective January 2026)), so refusing an applicant because they pay with a voucher is illegal anywhere in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Section 8 pay in Delaware? It depends on the county. HUD's FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent runs from $1,498 in Sussex County to $1,860 in New Castle County, with a median county of $1,629. Your housing authority's payment standard is 90% to 110% of the figure for your county, and the voucher pays that standard minus about 30% of your adjusted income.
Which Delaware county has the highest Section 8 rent limit? New Castle County, at $1,860 for a 2-bedroom ($2,216 for a 3-bedroom) in FY2027. The lowest is Sussex County at $1,498.
Did Section 8 rent limits go up in Delaware for FY2027? Mostly yes: the 2-bedroom figure rose in 3 counties, fell in 0, and held in 0. The biggest increase was Kent County (+10.8%).
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Delaware? No. Delaware protects source of income statewide (Delaware Fair Housing Act, 6 Del. C. §4601 (voucher exemption repealed effective January 2026)), so refusing an applicant because they pay with a voucher is illegal anywhere in the state.
Where is my housing authority's actual payment standard? On the authority's website, usually a one-page PDF updated each fall, or by calling its Housing Choice Voucher office. The largest Delaware authorities are listed above with phone numbers.
See also our Delaware Section 8 overview; the national 2-bedroom table for the 40 largest metros; HUD's FY2027 FMR dataset.
Holding a voucher in Delaware? Browse voucher-friendly listings by ZIP code and bedroom size.
Delaware landlord? List your property free. The table above is what a voucher tenant's authority can pay.
Sources for this article (3)
- whadelaware.org (whadelaware.org)
- Delaware Fair Housing Act, 6 Del. C. §4601 (voucher exemption repealed effective January 2026) (attorneygeneral.delaware.gov)
- HUD's FY2027 FMR dataset (huduser.gov)
VoucherMatch Editorial Team
Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected
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