Home Insurance in New Castle County, Delaware
The median home value in New Castle County is $352,200, close to the Delaware median.
The typical home in New Castle County was built around 1975. Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. About 30% of homes were built before 1960, about 9 points above Delaware's 21%.
In New Castle County, the housing stock is 74% single-family homes, 19% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 2% mobile or manufactured homes.
About 67% of owner-occupied homes in New Castle County have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
About 69% of occupied homes in New Castle County are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 5%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
Most homes in New Castle County - 54% - are primarily heated with natural gas. Homes heated with fuel oil can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
The top hazards for New Castle County, per FEMA's National Risk Index, are winter weather (Very High), inland flooding (Relatively High) and earthquake (Relatively Moderate). Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake, so separate coverage is usually needed.
New Castle County had 2,537 active National Flood Insurance Program policies as of September 2026. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
The statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Delaware is $1,196 per year, according to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $352,200 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Owner-occupied share | 69% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 67% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Winter Weather (Very High), Inland Flooding (Relatively High), Earthquake (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 2,537 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,196 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
- Arden
- Ardencroft
- Ardentown
- Bellefonte
- Delaware City
- Elsmere
- Middletown
- New Castle
- Newark
- Newport
- Odessa
- Townsend
- Wilmington
Sources
Data last updated: 2026-09-29
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)