Loading...
Homes For Sale In Delaware
Rightfully known as the first state, Delaware is also the second-smallest state and is located in the northeastern United States. Whether it’s a drive through the countryside or a day at the beach, Delaware is a beautiful place with lots to offer. If you’re looking to plant some roots in the Seaford real estate market, purchase one of the condos for sale in Rehoboth Beach, or land anywhere else in the state, keep reading to find out what makes Delaware real estate a great place to invest.
Delaware DE Real Estate Market
Not only is Delaware in the northeastern U.S., but it’s also situated on the northeastern side of the Delmarva Peninsula and includes several islands and territories along the Delaware River. Because Delaware is the second-smallest state by landmass, it’s also the sixth least-populous state, but ironically the sixth most densely populated state in the U.S. Delaware is perfect for families and professionals who want a smaller community feel, but also want to be in close proximity to bigger cities for work.
Homes for sale in Delaware are primarily single-family homes, though it’s common to find condos and townhomes for sale in the major cities and along the coast. Houses for sale in Delaware have an average home value of around $321k with nearly 70% of the residents owning their home. A vast majority of the homes here have 3 bedrooms, but there are also a lot of two and four-bedroom homes. About 40% of Delaware’s real estate was built during the ‘70s to ‘00s, while about 28% of the houses for sale in Delaware were built from 2000 to the present day and about 33% were constructed pre-1970s.
Major Cities In Delaware
There are only three counties in Delaware (the least amount of counties in any state). Starting at the northern part of the state is New Castle County, which is urbanized with the most-dense population of the three counties. Next is Kent County and then Sussex County at the south end of the state. Both of these counties are more rural and are primarily used for agriculture.
New Castle County
Newark- Located along the western state line, Newark has a population of around 33,000 people. While it’s one of the larger cities in Delaware, it remains pretty quiet and its location along I-95 affords easy access to major cities like Baltimore, MD and Philadelphia, PA.
Wilmington- Situated along the eastern border of Delaware is the city of Wilmington. It’s the largest city in Delaware with a population of over 70,000 people. With quick access to I-95, residents in Wilmington have easy access to other major cities, similar to Newark.
Kent
Dover- Located in central Kent County, Dover is the capital of Delaware, which has a population of around 38,000 people. Homes for sale in Dover appeal to families who want a suburban feel with all the amenities and necessities close by and are home to the Dover Air Force Base. Residents can take Hwy 1 to travel to other major cities.
Sussex
Georgetown- Located in southern Delaware, Georgetown is a city with a population of about 71,000 people. Georgetown prides itself as a slow-pass community only minutes from beaches like Rehoboth and Lewes. Families are drawn to Georgetown real estate because the homes are usually on larger lots with room to run and play. Route 113 runs north and south, while Hwy 9 runs southwest to northeast through the city, making it convenient to travel across the state.
Delaware Schools
Though Delaware is a small state by landmass, education is a priority here and there are over 1,060 schools ranging from preschool through high school with public, charter, and private school options. Delaware offers school choice, which means residents can send their children to any school within the state, regardless of their address.
Best School Districts in Delaware
There are several excellent school districts in this state. Here are the top three best school districts in Delaware:
- Appoquinimink School District- A public school district located in south New Castle County and is one of the fastest-growing districts in Delaware. Appoquinimink is the only district in Delaware to offer six different language programs and is one of the best communities for music education in the country. ASD serves 12,000 students from PreK-12th grade. There are five early childhood development centers, eight elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, and one adult education center.
- Cape Henlopen School District- A public school district located in Lewes, Sussex County, Cape Henlopen School District is number one for safest schools in Delaware and number two for best districts to teach at. CHSD has a population of 5,860 students in grades PreK-12 across six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.
- Red Clay Consolidated School District- A public school district located in Wilmington, DE, Red Clay Consolidated School District is the number one school district for teachers to work in, and because of that, it’s also home to the best teachers in the state. RCCSD has a population of 15,520 students in PreK-12 grades across eighteen elementary schools, ten middle schools, and seven high schools.
Top Colleges and Universities in Delaware
- University of Delaware (Newark, DE)
- Goldey-Beacom College (Willmington, DE)
- Delaware State University (Dover, DE)
- Wilmington University (New Castle, DE)
- Delaware Technical Community College (Dover, DE)
Frequently Asked Question About Delaware Real Estate
Where are the commercial airports in Delaware?
There are not any commercial airports in Delaware, but there are a few relatively close by. Most people needing to travel long distances will usually fly out of these airports:
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), which is 90.5 miles or 1 hour and 29 minutes from Dover, DE.
- Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), which is 82.3 miles or 2 hours and 42 minutes from Dover, DE.
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which is 120.8 miles or 2 hours and 45 minutes from Dover, DE.
What major landmarks/attractions are a must-see in Delaware?
Since Delaware is the first state in the United States, there is a lot of history to see. Here are just a few places you may want to check out if you move to Delaware.
- Air Mobility Command Museum- Located in Dover, this museum showcases over 30 vintage aircraft dating back to 194, as well as shares the history of the Dover Air Force Base.
- The Nanticoke Indian Museum- What was formerly a one-room schoolhouse now houses the Nanticoke Indian Museum where visitors can learn about the Nanticoke heritage and see displays of a variety of artifacts dating back to 8000 BC.
- Brandywine Creek State Park- This 933-acre park has a lot to offer including a zoo and activities like fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and more!
Where’s the best place to live in Delaware?
There are pockets of Wilmington, DE like Happy Valley, Highland, Forty Acres, and Trolly Square that are known as some of the best neighborhoods to live in the entire state of Delaware. They check all the boxes as far as great homes, excellent schools, cost of living, and overall sense of safety.
Pike Creek, which is located northeast of Newark, is another great place to live. It’s actually a suburb of Philadelphia on the Delaware side. Pike Creek has a population of about 7,600 people and is home to several young professionals. It was ranked number one for the best place to raise a family in Delaware as well as the top place to buy a home.
Living In Delaware
Some would say there’s not anything spectacular about Delaware compared to other states, while others would say that’s what they love about it. They see the bigger cities in the states around them, possibly even work there, but prefer a quieter home life and Delaware affords them that lifestyle.
If you live in Delaware you’ll have easy access to D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City by way of Interstate-95 which runs through the northern part of the state. Plus, you can take weekend trips to Shenandoah in Virginia, which is about 3-4 hours west, or even the New England states, which is about 5-6 hours north of Delaware.
A huge benefit to residing in Delaware is that there is no sales tax here. It’s not uncommon for people from neighboring states to do their shopping here to benefit from this fact.
Hospitals in Delaware
There are several hospitals in Delaware with a heavy concentration of them located in New Castle County, and more specifically around Wilmington. There are also several major hospitals strategically located along major thoroughfares like Hwy 1 and Route 13. ChristianaCare Wilmington Hospital is the top hospital in Delaware.
Delaware Weather
Delaware experiences all four seasons with summers being fairly moderate with highs in the 80s and winters averaging temperatures in the 10s-20s. Occasionally it snows, but sometimes it doesn’t snow all winter. Springtime in Delaware is always beautiful and tends to be breezy as the temperatures warm up, and fall is traditionally stunning as the leaves change colors. Though Delaware is off the Atlantic coast, it doesn’t really experience hurricanes directly. It usually experiences the remnants from them with just thunderstorms as the weather continues to calm.
Delaware Jobs
Delaware’s job sector has evolved over the years, but two-thirds of the state is still very much involved in agriculture. Specifically, Sussex County is known for chicken farms like Allen Family Foods, Mountaire Farms, and Perdue Farms. Delaware is also home to numerous successful businesses. In fact, over half of the publicly-traded companies are in Delaware, as well as 63% of Fortune 500 companies. The chemical, pharmaceutical, and technology industries are big here too and companies here include Agilent Technologies, AstraZeneca, DuPont de Nemours Inc., and Syngenta.
Transportation in Delaware
Most residents in Delaware travel using their own vehicle and the main roads here include Routes 13, 113, and Hwy 1 running north and south, as well as Route 9 and Interstate 195 running east and west. There’s also a bicycle route that stretches the length of the state going north to south.
Due to Delaware being positioned around water, there are three ferries that operate around the state. Cape May-Lewes Ferry operates between Lewes, DE and Cape May, NJ. Woodland Ferry operates at the Nanticoke River, near Seaford. Forts Ferry Crossing operates from Delaware City to Fort Delaware and Fort Mott, NJ.
Delaware has excellent public transportation services with Amtrak stations along the Northeast Corridor, which is also served by SEPTA’s Regional Rail that operates around Claymont, Wilmington, Churchmans Crossing, and Newark. DART First State was awarded Most Outstanding Public Transportation System and covers New Castle County and includes major highways in Kent and Sussex counties. The DART system includes buses, passenger rails, taxis, and paratransit modes that will service door-to-door for the elderly and disabled.
Those traveling long distances will typically use one of three commercial airports located outside of the state, which includes airports in Philadelphia, Washington area, and Baltimore.