Property tax in New Castle County, Delaware
In New Castle County, the property tax bill comes from the New Castle County Office of Finance, Treasury. The FY27 bill is due December 31, 2026. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from New Castle County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in New Castle County, Delaware is $2,499 a year, which is about 0.71% of the county's median home value of $352,200. That effective rate is higher than the typical Delaware county (0.43%) and lower than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Who sends the property tax bill in New Castle County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the New Castle County Office of Finance, Treasury. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the New Castle County Office of Finance, Assessment Division, which is who to ask if the value looks wrong. For how to look up and pay the bill, go to the county's own payment information.
The county bill carries both the county property tax and your school district tax; the school share, typically about 81% of the bill, goes to the school district through the state. The City of Wilmington sends its own separate city property tax bill, usually mailed in July; if you live in another incorporated town, check whether it bills separately too. County and school tax rates for this year are to be posted on or after October 22, 2026. Paying online through the county's processor, Paymentus, is free by e-check or ACH, while credit and debit cards carry a 2.75% fee. Mailed payments go to P.O. Box 782888, Philadelphia, PA 19178-2888. The county reassessed every property to its value as of July 1, 2024, and many bills changed sharply; the county's online estimator shows the expected change.
When are property taxes due in New Castle County?
For the FY27 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) bill, New Castle County has one due date: December 31, 2026. This year's bills are due December 31, 2026, later than the usual September 30, because a state law passed in February 2026 (Senate Bill 228) let the county review some non-residential assessments before the roll was final. The county will mail bills in November; the law requires them to go out by November 16. The county expects next year's bills to be due September 30, 2027. Paying ahead in monthly amounts is allowed; prepayments are credited to the next bill. Taxes still unpaid after December 31, 2026 get a penalty starting in January 2027: 6% on the county property tax lines and 1% on the school tax lines in the first month, then 1% a month on every line until paid.
From New Castle County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the county's own rules on the next business day apply.
Estimate the property tax on a home in New Castle County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at New Castle County's average effective rate of 0.71% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,501 / year
Property tax in New Castle County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,499 |
| Median home value | $352,200 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.71% |
| Typical Delaware county rate | 0.43% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does New Castle County compare in Delaware?
Among Delaware's 3 counties, New Castle County has the highest effective property-tax rate. Nationally, it ranks 1839th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Delaware county ranked.
How much do homeowners in New Castle County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across New Castle County's 154,724 owner-occupied homes, 36.3% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 60.1% pay at least $2,000, and 8.4% pay under $800. Another 3.6% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 13,051 | 8.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 22,866 | 14.8% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 20,292 | 13.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 36,812 | 23.8% |
| $3,000 or more | 56,099 | 36.3% |
| No property tax paid | 5,604 | 3.6% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,517 and owners without one pay $2,446. That is within 10% either way, so in New Castle County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the New Castle County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,499 is about 2.2% of the median income of New Castle County homeowner households, $111,142 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 69% of New Castle County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in New Castle County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,972 in 2015-2019 to $2,499 in 2020-2024, a 26.7% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 35%, from $260,800 to $352,200. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to New Castle County
New Castle County borders 7 counties, 6 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem County, NJ | 2.93% | $7,018 | $239,500 |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 2.6% | $8,055 | $310,400 |
| Delaware County, PA | 1.84% | $6,124 | $332,200 |
| Chester County, PA | 1.3% | $6,308 | $485,600 |
| Kent County, MD | 0.91% | $3,025 | $330,900 |
| Cecil County, MD | 0.89% | $3,068 | $343,400 |
| New Castle County, DE (this county) | 0.71% | $2,499 | $352,200 |
| Kent County, DE | 0.43% | $1,363 | $316,600 |
How is a home assessed in New Castle County?
Delaware sets the assessment rules and New Castle County applies them. How Delaware assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in New Castle County?
No. Delaware has no general homestead exemption; relief comes through the age-65 and disabled-veteran school tax credits and county-level exemptions with income limits. That is the Delaware rule, and it applies in New Castle County. Delaware's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Delaware programs, New Castle County runs its own:
- Over-65 (elderly) exemption: For owners 65 or older with a principal residence assessed at no more than $676,000, income (not counting Social Security) of $65,000 or less, and 10 consecutive years of Delaware residency, the county removes up to $173,000 of assessed value from the county tax; a separate part with a lower income limit ($15,000 single, $19,000 married) removes up to $173,000 from the school tax, and approved owners do not need to reapply. Apply by June 1.
- Disability exemption: For owners who are disabled, with income (not counting Social Security) of $65,000 or less and 10 consecutive years of Delaware residency (waived for some disabled veterans), the county removes up to $173,000 of assessed value from the county tax, with larger additions for severe mobility loss or a service-connected disability; a school tax part with a lower income limit ($15,000 single, $19,000 married) works the same way. Apply by June 1.
How to appeal your New Castle County property assessment
In New Castle County you appeal to the New Castle County Board of Assessment Review. The deadline: Annual appeals for 2027 may be filed from January 1, 2027 through March 14, 2027. The Board also hears appeals from denied exemption applications. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How Delaware's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Delaware rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Delaware page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with New Castle County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Delaware income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Delaware actually taxes.
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Sales tax in New Castle County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for New Castle County, Delaware: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.