Photo: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 3.071 homes sold in Elsmere in the last year, at a typical $255K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Elsmere homes are listed.
Every place Elsmere homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Elsmere.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 46% of Elsmere’s sales, at a typical $308K
71 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 33 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $229DE $207
- Days to sell
- 34
- Sold over asking
- 27%
- Listings with a price cut
- 31%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 3 sold, typical $237K
Townhouses: 35 sold, typical $231K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
71 sales in the last year, against 126 in 2021 and a low of 49 in 2012. The typical sale went from $134K in 2016 to $255K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $250K buys in Elsmere
Check a listing against what Elsmere homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Elsmere are more common than before the pandemic, but 57% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Elsmere’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 71 sales.
If you’re buying in Elsmere
- Shop in July. It brings about 9 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (24% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 33% of listings have cut their price, against 28% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.7% of the list price on average; 35% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 56% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings the homes; fall brings the bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 10 a month), but November is the most competitive: 39% of November sales close over asking. July offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (24%). December has the least competition (16%) but only about 5 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and about like Delaware as a whole
| Elsmere now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | DE now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 35% | 19% | 38% | 30% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 56% | 26% | 68% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 33% | 28% | 35% | 26% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.7% | 97.9% | 100% | 99% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 26 | 52 | 17 | 38 |
9 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2024 low (6), 57% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 41.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
33% in the last year, against 28% in 2017–19 and 26% across Delaware.
Elsmere ranks 7th of 18 busy Delaware markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Elsmere is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Elsmere home costs about $1,503 a month
Price: Elsmere’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Elsmere’s 0.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Elsmere is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 5.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $255K home, about $2,070 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Elsmere, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in ElsmereCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Wilmington and Edgemoor sell for less a square foot; Greenville for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Elsmere, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | 900 | $231K | $168 | 25% | 44 |
| Pike Creek | 94 | $438K | $209 | 40% | 25 |
| Edgemoor | 81 | $284K | $169 | 37% | 38 |
| New Castle | 80 | $381K | $227 | 34% | 51 |
| Elsmere | 71 | $255K | $210 | 35% | 26 |
| Wilmington Manor | 71 | $310K | $224 | 41% | 20 |
| Greenville | 29 | $990K | $339 | 31% | 40 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Elsmere, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Elsmere. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Elsmere with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Elsmere
What do homes sell for in Elsmere, DE?
71 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $255K, $210 a square foot.
Is Elsmere a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 9 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 9 sold, about 1 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.7% of asking on average, and 33% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Elsmere?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Elsmere?
About 0.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $255K home that’s near $2,070.
Where can I see homes for sale in Elsmere?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Elsmere’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Elsmere.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).