Even on the area’s higher pay, Kent Acres costs more to live in than 66% of U.S. towns
Up 1.8% in a year, 13% below the Delaware typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Dover, DE metro area ($74K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 4 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Kent Acres’ area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($74K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 36% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 53% of renters.
In dollars
- $352Ktypical home, 13% below the Delaware typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,540a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 98prices across the Dover metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 96)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 3.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$74K, Dover-area income
- 25%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 36%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What’s behind Kent Acres’ grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Kent Acres is more affordable than 34% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced Delaware: the typical Kent Acres home is up 32.0% in five years, against 21.5% statewide (Zillow).
Up 32% in five years
Faster than Delaware (21.5%).
Show as a table
| January | Kent Acres | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $192,000 | $255,000 |
| 2018 | $197,000 | $262,000 |
| 2019 | $202,000 | $270,000 |
| 2020 | $217,000 | $276,000 |
| 2021 | $243,000 | $305,000 |
| 2022 | $277,000 | $343,000 |
| 2023 | $307,000 | $369,000 |
| 2024 | $326,000 | $386,000 |
| 2025 | $341,000 | $396,000 |
| 2026 | $349,000 | $403,000 |
| September 2026 | $352,000 | $405,000 |
A typical Kent Acres home worth $188K in October 2016 is worth about $352K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 25% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Kent Acres’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $50K short of a typical Kent Acres home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,540 a month here, $480 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Kent Acres’s typical property tax (0.58% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,540
Renters already here pay a median of $1,574.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Dover, DE MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,411, under the Delaware median of $1,768, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.58% a year, against 0.50% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Kent Acres
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Dover, DE metro area, or Delaware. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 98 | DE 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 96 | DE 96 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 97 | DE 104 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 99 | DE 101 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Kent Acres vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Kent Acres has the 3rd-lowest. Highland Acres has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Acres | C | $352K | $242K | 0.58% | $1,540 |
| Dover | C | $343K | $259K | 0.57% | $1,490 |
| Highland Acres | B− | — | $306K | 0.53% | $1,540 |
| Rodney Village | B− | $257K | $167K | 0.69% | $1,400 |
| Camden | C | $413K | $300K | 0.44% | $1,540 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Kent Acres
Is Kent Acres expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Kent Acres costs more than 66% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.2 years of the median household income of the Dover, DE metro area ($74K).
How much does a house cost in Kent Acres?
About $352K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.8% in a year. The Delaware typical home is $405K.
What salary do you need to live in Kent Acres?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $86,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,020 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $62,000.
How much is rent in Kent Acres?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,540 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,574 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Kent Acres?
The median bill is $1,411 a year, 0.58% of the median home value (Delaware: $1,768, 0.50%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Kent Acres going up?
Yes: up 1.8% in the past year and 32.0% in five years, against 21.5% across Delaware (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Kent Acres buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.