Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★3.1 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Dover, DE
Explore Dover and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match6.4 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Dover at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population39,837
Median Household Income$60,199
Median Home Value$258,900
Median Gross Rent$1,344
Median Age34.7
Average Household Size2.3
Unemployment8.0%
Work From Home9.0%
Homeownership46.9%
Housing Vacancy6.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Dover is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages. Unemployment is elevated enough that job location and industry-specific opportunities deserve closer review.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Dover Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Dover →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Dover and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Dover
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$258,900
Median Gross Rent$1,344
Homeownership46.9%
Housing Vacancy6.2%
Home values are moderately high relative to local household income, making neighborhood-level price differences important for buyers. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Dover, DE
Median Household Income$60,199
Unemployment8.0%
Work From Home9.0%
The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Dover and how households are structured
Population39,837
Median Age34.7
Average Household Size2.3
Dover is a smaller community, so its relationship with nearby towns, employment centers and services can be especially important.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Dover
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Dover point to hot summers, winters with regular freezing conditions, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and a meaningful winter snowfall season.
Average Summer High86.9°F
Average Winter Low27.6°F
Annual Rainfall47.6 in.
Annual Snowfall13.2 in.
Seasonal Life in Dover
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.
Summer
Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
Dover is located in Kent County, but city-level housing, income and neighborhood conditions can differ meaningfully from countywide averages. Kent County. Current county foreclosure activity is classified as medium, adding another housing-market signal for buyers comparing conventional and distressed-property opportunities.
County Intelligence
Dover & Kent County
Medium
Foreclosure Activity
Dover is located in Kent County, Delaware.
NarrowTheList uses county-level information alongside local community data because many factors that matter when choosing a place to live are measured beyond city boundaries. Housing, property taxes, employment, healthcare access and other regional characteristics can add useful context to the picture of life in Dover.
Current NarrowTheList data for Dover shows a population of about 39,837. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Kent County
How NarrowTheList uses it
County information is used as a supporting geographic layer, not as a substitute for local data. As more county datasets are added, NarrowTheList can use them to improve comparisons, ratings and relocation insights for Dover.
For someone considering a move to Dover, the available data currently points to employment conditions that make job-specific research important. These signals are most useful when considered alongside the specific neighborhood, commute and housing type that fit the household making the move.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.