Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Wilmington, DE

Discover affordable housing in Wilmington where there are 83+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Wilmington, Delaware
$32.90/hour
$19.65 (+148%) more than Delaware minimum wage and $25.65 (+354%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Wilmington, Delaware Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Wilmington, Delaware?

Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing, Family Self-Sufficiency, Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) programs for Wilmington, Delaware.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs for Wilmington, Delaware.

Go to the Delaware Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Wilmington.

How many renters live in Wilmington, Delaware?

The City of Wilmington has 71,568 people living in 32,239 households.

There are 35,191 renters living in 17,202 renter households in this City. Renters make up 49.17 percent of the population living in Wilmington.

What is the rental market like in Wilmington, Delaware?

There are an estimated 35,664 housing units in the Wilmington area. Of these, 18,616 units are rental homes, making up 52 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Wilmington, Delaware, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Wilmington?

The rental vacancy rate in Wilmington is 6 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.

How many rental units are in Wilmington for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Wilmington
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
1,741 5,852 4,795 4,687 127
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Wilmington

A large number of apartments in Wilmington have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How many renter households in Wilmington are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 48 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 19 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.

The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.

How Much Is Rent in Wilmington

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,303 to $2,422. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,303
One BR $1,451
Two BR $1,737
Three BR $2,100
Four BR $2,422
2024 Fair Market Rents in Wilmington, Delaware

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Wilmington?

Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.

These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:

Unit Size Count of Units Below FMR Percentage of Total Units Below FMR
Studio 1,305 75 percent
One BR 4,637 79 percent
Two BR 3,001 63 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Wilmington, Delaware

How many affordable rental units are in Wilmington?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Wilmington, Delaware including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 2,371
Public Housing 1,363
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 1,639
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 161
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 45
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Wilmington, Delaware

Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.

Income Based Apartments in Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington features 3,595 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.

Low Rent Apartments in Wilmington, Delaware

There are 2,332 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Wilmington.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Wilmington, Delaware

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Wilmington landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Wilmington.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Wilmington, Delaware for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,563 and $1,911.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.