Your Guide to Buying a Home in Dover, DE

Buying a Home in Dover, Delaware

Dover is located in Kent County

Community Profile

Central Delaware offers the charm of small town living, yet is within driving distance to major Eastern cities. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Annapolis are all easily reached in less than two hours from Dover, and the Maryland and Delaware beaches are also close at hand. Most towns boast Historic districts, with colonial and Victorian homes on tree-lined streets, and Dover's historic Green is the site of fairs and festivals throughout the year. Dover is a growing and vibrant city, rich in history and loaded with activities for the entire family. The city is 25 square miles with a population of 33,500 and 15,000 in population. Located eight miles north of the State Capital, Smyrna hosts an array of historical attractions. In addition, Smyrna takes great pride in the quality of living and education that it has to offer.

Housing Profile

Average sale price of a home in Kent County is $100,000 to $150,000. About 30-35% of home sales are new construction. Typical homes in this price range will include 3 or 4 bedrooms, 1.5 to 2 baths, and either basement or garage. Existing homes will be larger in size than more recently built ones in any price range. Taxes continue to be very moderate, with county and school taxes averaging $500-600 on a typical home. Town taxes will add $200-300 to this yearly amount. Existing homes range in price from $30,000 to over $1,000,000. New townhomes are available form $90,000, with single family homes available in price ranges from 100,000 up to over $250,000.

When visiting Dover, don't forget to visit Dover Downs! Dover International Speedway is a multi-purpose race track located in Dover, Delaware, about equidistant from Philadelphia (81 miles), Baltimore (93 miles), and Washington (95 miles). The one mile course, known as the Monster Mile, seats 140,000. The raceway is mostly enclosed, and from the upper deck you have a great view of the entire track.

Dover hosts two NASCAR weekends of Winston Cup and Busch racing, and harness racing from November through April. The race stops are typically made in June and September; see the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch schedules for dates. For ticket information, call 800-441-RACE.

The track also features over 2,000 slot machines in a huge casino, with both traditional slot action and poker ranging from a nickel to $20 in price.