Average Rent in Wilmington, DE (2026)

Typical asking rent in Wilmington is $1,847. Across the 8 ZIP codes with data it runs from $1,554 to $2,766, so which side of town you buy on matters as much as the city average. Data as of September 2026.

Median rent
$1,847
Average rent
$1,939
Lowest ZIP
$1,554
Highest ZIP
$2,766

Rent by ZIP code in Wilmington

ZIP codeCountyTypical rentvs city median
19803New Castle County$2,766+50%
19808New Castle County$2,204+19%
19810New Castle County$1,983+7%
19806New Castle County$1,884+2%
19801New Castle County$1,809-2%
19802New Castle County$1,656-10%
19809New Castle County$1,653-11%
19805New Castle County$1,554-16%

Rent by bedroom count in Wilmington

Zillow's index above blends every unit size into one number. For a bedroom level view, these are HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents for New Castle County. They include utilities and sit near the 40th percentile of the market, so treat them as the low side of what a typical unit lists for. New Castle County uses Small Area FMRs, and the two bedroom figure runs from $1,580 to $2,250 depending on the Wilmington ZIP code.

Unit sizeFY2027 Fair Market RentChange from FY2026
Studio$1,438+2.9%
1 bedroom$1,558+2.5%
2 bedroom$1,860+2.8%
3 bedroom$2,216+2.1%
4 bedroom$2,445+0.9%

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Updates when HUD publishes a new fiscal year.

Is rent going up or down in Wilmington?

Typical rent across New Castle County is $1,863 as of September 2026. That is up 3.2% from a year earlier and up 28.6% over five years.

YearTypical rent, New Castle CountyChange
2021$1,508+15.1%
2022$1,612+6.9%
2023$1,706+5.8%
2024$1,785+4.6%
2025$1,817+1.8%
2026 (through September)$1,863+2.5%

Zillow Observed Rent Index for the county, all home types, last published month of each year. Each row is compared with the end of the year before it.

Wilmington rent questions

What is the average rent in Wilmington, DE?
Typical asking rent in Wilmington is $1,847 a month as of September 2026, across 8 ZIP codes. By ZIP code it runs from $1,554 to $2,766.
How much is rent for a 2 bedroom in Wilmington?
HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in New Castle County is $1,860 a month including utilities. A one bedroom is $1,558 and a three bedroom is $2,216. Fair Market Rent is set near the 40th percentile, so a typical unit lists somewhat higher.
Is rent going up or down in Wilmington?
Rent is rising. Typical rent in New Castle County is $1,863 as of September 2026, up 3.2% from a year earlier.
What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in Wilmington?
ZIP 19805 has the lowest typical asking rent in Wilmington at $1,554 a month, compared with $1,847 for the city overall.
How much income do you need to rent in Wilmington?
Most landlords look for gross income of about three times the rent. At the typical Wilmington rent of $1,847, that is about $5,541 a month, or $66,492 a year. This is a common screening rule of thumb, and individual landlords set their own.

How to use these numbers

These are Zillow Observed Rent Index values, a smoothed measure of typical asking rent for single family homes, condos, and apartments in each ZIP code. They describe what units are listed for, not what any specific unit will get. Condition, bedroom count, and the exact block all move the number.

If you are underwriting a purchase, use the ZIP figure rather than the city median, and then verify against live listings for the same bedroom count before you commit. Wilmington sits in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area.

Other Delaware cities

Would a rental in Wilmington cash flow?

Start the analyzer with the Wilmington median rent of $1,847 and add a real purchase price to see cash flow, cap rate, and cash-on-cash return.