Wilmington, Delaware Property Tax Records

Wilmington property tax records are searchable online through the city's Citizen Self Service portal. You can look up tax bills by address, owner name, parcel number, or bill number and view current and past years of assessment data. Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware and sits in New Castle County, which conducts all property assessments for the city. The Department of Finance collects real estate taxes each year based on those county-determined values. Whether you need to verify a tax balance, review payment history, or confirm an assessed value, the city's online tools make the process straightforward.

Searching Wilmington Property Tax Records

The City of Wilmington Citizen Self Service Portal is the main tool for looking up property tax records online. You can search by address, owner name, parcel number, or bill number. The system shows current tax bills, prior year bills, payment history, and the assessed value used to calculate each bill. Online payment is available through the same portal.

Tax bills in Wilmington reflect both city taxes and any applicable school district taxes. The portal breaks these out so you can see the full picture of what is owed and what has been paid. If a property has unpaid balances from prior years, those show up as well. Residents can set up payment plans or make partial payments through the online system.

The New Castle County parcel search is a useful companion tool. It shows county-level assessment data, ownership information, and the parcel number you may need to look up city tax bills. Using both tools together gives you a complete view of a property's tax situation.

Wilmington Property Tax Rates

For Fiscal Year 2026, the City of Wilmington set the real property tax rate at $4.5577 per $1,000 of assessed value. This replaced the prior FY2025 rate of $2.115 per $100 of assessed value, which was based on 1983 assessed values. The change was a revenue-neutral adjustment made after the 2025 New Castle County reassessment updated property values to current market levels. The city did not increase total revenue through this rate change. It recalculated the rate so the same total tax dollars would be collected under the new, higher assessed values.

Property assessments in Wilmington are handled by New Castle County, not the city. The county determines each property's assessed value, and the city applies its rate to that figure. The City of Wilmington Tax Assessor's office at 800 North French Street, (302) 576-2400, can answer questions about assessed values and help with appeals. New assessment notices are typically mailed in spring, around mid-May. Notices show market value, assessed value, and an estimated tax bill for the coming year.

Wilmington's effective property tax rate of 0.81% is lower than the national median of 1.02%. The median annual tax bill of $1,792 is about $608 below the national median of $2,400. Tax bills vary a lot across the city. In zip code 19807, the median home value reaches $702,450. In zip code 19801, the median drops to $82,890. That spread means property tax bills differ significantly depending on which part of Wilmington a property is in. Knowing your specific zip code helps set realistic expectations before you open the bill.

Wilmington also levies several other taxes that businesses and residents should know about. The wage tax is 1.25% on earned income for city residents and for non-residents who work within city limits. Businesses with six or more employees pay a head tax of $15 per employee per month. When property changes hands, a Real Estate Transfer Tax of 1.50% of the selling price applies.

Tax Abatements and Exemptions

Wilmington offers property tax abatements for commercial construction and redevelopment. Under City Code Chapter 44, commercial new construction, commercial redevelopment, and commercial renovation can qualify for a 10-year abatement. Under the pre-July 2019 rules, years 1 through 5 were fully abated and years 6 through 10 phased back in at 20% per year. Effective July 1, 2019, the structure changed to a straight 5-year, 100% abatement with no phase-in period. Parking structures qualify for a 20-year abatement.

Homeowners whose assessed values increased significantly under the 2025 reassessment had access to resources through the city. Mayor John Carney set aside $500,000 to fund interior assessments for owners who agreed to let assessors inside. The city also committed financial assistance for people who wanted to challenge their new values. Officials confirmed that code violations observed during any interior inspection would not result in fines for the property owner. This was intended to encourage cooperation without penalizing homeowners for getting a second look at their assessment.

Recorder of Deeds and Property History

For recorded deeds, liens, and mortgage documents on Wilmington properties, the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds is the place to go. The office is at 800 N. French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801, just across the street from City Hall. Phone: (302) 395-7700. The Recorder maintains computer-searchable records going back to 1945. Records include deeds, deed restrictions, easements, mortgages, federal tax liens, and military discharges. The office also collects the County Transfer Tax when property in most Wilmington zip codes changes hands.

These recorded documents are important when researching property tax records because they establish ownership and reveal any liens that might affect the property's tax status. A federal tax lien, for example, will show up in the Recorder's database and may need to be resolved before a property can be transferred. Title researchers and real estate attorneys use this database regularly for any transaction involving Wilmington real estate.

Delaware Law and Wilmington Assessments

Wilmington property tax assessments are governed by Delaware Code Title 9, Chapter 83. Section 8301 requires that property be assessed at fair market value as of the most recent reassessment base year in the county. Because the 2025 reassessment was court-ordered and run by Tyler Technologies, Wilmington's new assessed values reflect current market conditions in a way the old 1983 values did not. This shift affected tax bills city-wide, with some property owners seeing increases and others seeing decreases depending on how their property's value compared to the old baseline.

The Delaware Division of Revenue handles state-level tax matters and can be reached at 820 N. French Street in Wilmington, (302) 577-8200. While the Division of Revenue focuses on income and business taxes rather than property taxes, it is the right contact for questions about realty transfer taxes or state tax credits that may apply at closing. First-time home buyers may qualify for a reduction in the transfer tax rate under the state's first-time home buyer program.

Nearby Cities

These cities in New Castle County also use county assessments as the basis for local property taxes.