Metro FMR · CBSA 20100 · HUD FY2026

Dover, DE MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Dover, DE MSA metro area - 21% above the US average.

$1,165
1-bedroom FMR
$1,470
2-bedroom FMR
-1.4%
YoY change
+21%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Dover, DE MSA area rents at $1,470 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 25% above the US average, higher than 66% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#132
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+25%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$58,800
income to afford it (30% rule)
-1.4%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Dover: #132 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $72,872, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 19.2% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Dover in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 182,400 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,158/mo

19.1% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,165/mo

19.2% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,470/mo

24.2% of median income

3 Bedroom

$2,044/mo

33.7% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,285/mo

37.6% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·20100

Dover: $1,165/mo 1BR · #132 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 20100

  • CBSA 20100
  • 1BR-FMR $1,165
  • 2BR-FMR $1,470
  • RANK-MID #132
  • YOY-FLAT -1.4%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +21%
  • IN-ST-SOLO Solo metro
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-MID 182K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Alexandria
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,049–$1,282
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Alexandria ($385 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Dover sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,470 Top 34% higher than 66% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

Dover studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #132 nationally

1BR $1,165 (+21% vs US, -1.4% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 20100.

Studio
$1,158
US avg $893
↓1.3% YoY +30% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,165
US avg $959
↓1.4% YoY +21% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,470
US avg $1,175
↓1.5% YoY +25% vs US
3 Bedroom
$2,044
US avg $1,525
↓1.7% YoY +34% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,285
US avg $1,756
↑0.3% YoY +30% vs US

How Dover compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs metros with similar rent levels

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Dover highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Dover: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Dover with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside DE (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside DE

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Punta Gorda
FL · 2 BR $1,470/mo
Knoxville
TN · 2 BR $1,471/mo
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent
FL · 2 BR $1,471/mo
Hanford-Corcoran
CA · 2 BR $1,469/mo

Burden % · outside DE

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Johnson City
TN · 24.2% of income · 2 BR $1,132/mo
Yakima
WA · 24.2% of income · 2 BR $1,374/mo
Charlottesville
VA · 24.2% of income · 2 BR $1,824/mo
Elmira
NY · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,283/mo

Dover: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Dover, DE MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dover, DE MSA is $1,165 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,470 and a studio is $1,158.
How does Dover, DE MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Dover, DE MSA metro area is 21% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,165 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dover rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,470 ranks #132 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Dover, DE MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $46,600 ($3,883/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Dover, DE MSA area.

Compare Dover vs Alexandria →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,165/mo · 1BR DE

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.