Markets  ›  DE  ›  Dover

Dover, DE housing market

Dover, DE metro median sale price $358K in Jul–Sep 2026, up 3.0% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the Dover, DE metro is $358K over Jul–Sep 2026, up 3.0% from the same 3 months a year earlier. That change sits near the middle of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro agrees within 0.7 points (up 3.7% through Q2 2026).

Dover is the only metro Pecan Street tracks in Delaware; nationally, the metros closest to it on median sale price ($358K) are Fairbanks, AK ($358K) and Fort Myers / Cape Coral, FL ($356K). On median days on market (60 days), the closest are Atlanta, GA (60 days) and Beckley, WV (60 days).

Listings spent a median 60 days on market in Sep 2026. 41% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 1.9 points lower. That share is higher than in most of the 385 metros. Building permits authorized 119 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $1,925 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $83K a year. The median sale price equals about 13 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio down 6.2% from a year earlier. That ratio is lower than in most of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $200 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 0.7%.

In six of the eight ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are higher than a year earlier; one is lower; one is unchanged.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$358K

+3.0% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 4, 2026

7.12%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$1,925/mo

$83K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Dover compares to other U.S. metros

Price-to-rent↓306th of 373
Price cuts↑122nd of 385 (top 32%)
Home-price growth165th of 383 (top 44%)
Days on market172nd of 385 (top 45%)

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 13 -6.2% YoY
↓306th of 373
Asking price / sq ft$200 -0.7% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 41% -1.9 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↑122nd of 385 (top 32%)
New housing units permitted119

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

ZIPs with listing data8 shown of 15
MLS board of recordBright MLS
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

No signals flagged for this market right now.

Housing Economy

Dover · ConstructionCOPIED

Dover builders pulled 9.5% fewer single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Dover metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct0357010514020252026
AprJulOct0357010514020252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec8575—
Nov4981—
Oct11769—
Sep159079
Aug988576
Jul7811293
Jun94101103
May1188597
Apr1149265
Mar818898
Feb1309354
Jan996874

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Dover metro area pulled 964 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 9.5% fewer than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 9.2% below the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Dover area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Dover · Home pricesCOPIED

Dover home prices are 3.7% higher than a year ago

Home prices in the Dover metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

1990200020102020-10%0%10%20%30%Dover
1990200020102020-10%0%10%20%30%Dover
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateDover
Jun 20263.7%
Mar 20266.3%
Dec 20258.1%
Sep 20259.7%
Jun 20252.6%
Mar 20251.9%
Dec 20241.4%
Sep 20245.1%
Jun 20246.2%
Mar 202411.3%
Dec 20233.5%
Sep 20232.9%
Jun 20234.3%
Mar 20236.1%
Dec 202212.6%
Sep 202217.3%
Jun 202218.1%
Mar 202218.8%
Dec 202119.3%
Sep 202114.1%
Jun 202112.2%
Mar 20219.3%
Dec 20206.5%
Sep 20205.6%
Jun 20205%
Mar 20207%
Dec 20194.9%
Sep 20194.8%
Jun 20192.8%
Mar 20190.3%
Dec 20181.7%
Sep 20184.9%
Jun 20185.3%
Mar 20182.7%
Dec 20173%
Sep 2017-0.7%
Jun 2017-1.6%
Mar 20173.1%
Dec 20163.8%
Sep 20165.8%
Jun 20166.5%
Mar 20162.7%
Dec 20153.3%
Sep 20151.3%
Jun 20153.3%
Mar 20154.3%
Dec 20141.8%
Sep 20144%
Jun 20140.5%
Mar 2014-1.3%
Dec 20130.8%
Sep 2013-0.5%
Jun 20131.1%
Mar 2013-1%
Dec 2012-1.9%
Sep 20120.4%
Jun 2012-2%
Mar 2012-2.9%
Dec 2011-4%
Sep 2011-8.8%
Jun 2011-6%
Mar 2011-4.1%
Dec 2010-5%
Sep 2010-4.4%
Jun 2010-8.7%
Mar 2010-9.5%
Dec 2009-7.6%
Sep 2009-6.7%
Jun 2009-5.9%
Mar 2009-5%
Dec 2008-5%
Sep 2008-4.7%
Jun 2008-2.3%
Mar 2008-0.6%
Dec 2007-0.1%
Sep 20073%
Jun 20075.2%
Mar 20079.5%
Dec 20069.9%
Sep 200610.1%
Jun 200611.1%
Mar 200614.7%
Dec 200516.4%
Sep 200517.7%
Jun 200522%
Mar 200516.3%
Dec 200415.5%
Sep 200416%
Jun 200410%
Mar 20048.8%
Dec 20037.7%
Sep 20035.1%
Jun 20034.6%
Mar 20035.9%
Dec 20025.6%
Sep 20025.9%
Jun 20025.3%
Mar 20025.8%
Dec 20017%
Sep 20016.9%
Jun 20016.6%
Mar 20015.6%
Dec 20001.9%
Sep 20001.6%
Jun 20002.5%
Mar 2000-1%
Dec 19991.8%
Sep 19991.2%
Jun 19991.4%
Mar 19991.9%
Dec 19981.7%
Sep 19984.2%
Jun 19980.4%
Mar 19983.1%
Dec 19973.3%
Sep 19971.9%
Jun 19975%
Mar 19972.1%
Dec 19962.3%
Sep 19960.4%
Jun 1996-0.9%
Mar 19965.1%
Dec 19953.5%
Sep 19952.4%
Jun 19951.2%
Mar 1995-3.1%
Dec 1994-3.5%
Sep 1994-3%
Jun 1994-0.7%
Mar 19941.7%
Dec 19931.8%
Sep 19933%
Jun 19935.1%
Mar 19930.5%
Dec 19920.9%
Sep 19924%
Jun 19920.2%
Mar 19922.2%
Dec 19915%
Sep 19912%
Jun 19911.7%
Mar 19916.8%
Dec 19904.6%
Sep 19903.9%
Jun 19907.4%
Mar 199011.1%
Dec 19896.8%
Sep 19897.1%
Jun 19896.7%
Mar 19894%
Dec 19887.2%
Sep 19888.2%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Dover metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 3.7% above its level a year earlier. Since 1988, prices have risen an average of 3.9% a year. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Dover home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

normal · 0.7pp

Redfin (metro)

+3.0%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+3.7%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

Market dispatches

Citable market dispatches for Dover → Latest dispatch: Jul 10, 2026.

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
19901$369K↑103↑36↑40↑50↓$335K↑
19904$398K↑131↑36↓48↓41↑$347K↑
19934$397K↑32↓16↑12↓46↓$389K↑
19938$450K28↑84↓39↓$428K↑
19943$440K↑63↑20↑1280$393K↑
19952$365K↑29↓124↓52↓$345K↑
19962$450K↑48↑20↑16↓37↑$423K↑
19977$457K↓126↑24↑44↑71↑$399K↑

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.