New Castle County
Property Tax Guide

Assessment administration: Revaluation cycle: Every 5 years. Director is Appointed. There are 3 counties conducting assessments, but the counties can adopt local assessment lists. The Board of Assessment may enter into agreement with the proper authorities of any city, town or municipality to inspect and copy any assessment made for local purposes. If, such local assessment assesses all property at its true value in money, the Board may adopt such local assessment as the assessment for county purposes.

Classification and ratios: %

Tax limits: The ad valorem tax rates of county vocational-technical high school districts or county vocational-technical center districts are limited as follows: (1) 2.95 mills ($2.95 on each $1000 of value) in Sussex County in 2024; (2) 1.4 mills ($1.4 on each $1000 of value) in Kent County for the tax year 1993 and all years thereafter; and (3) 2 mills ($2 on each $1000 of value) in New Castle County for the tax year 2021 and all years thereafter.

Agricultural treatment: The value of land, determined by the assessing officer of the taxing jurisdiction, actively devoted to agricultural use shall, for local tax purposes, on the application of the owner, be valued according to its use as agricultural land, using qualifications established by the State Farmland Evaluation Advisory Committee. The State Farmland Advisory Committee groups the various soil types into five groups, which reflect the potential productivity of the soils, and into three of the most common uses of land by farmers: cropland, forest, and other land. Net income from the land is capitalized and allocated based on the rated capabilities. All structures (including the farmhouse, the land on which it is located, and any additional land used in connection) are ineligible for assessment as agricultural land and are valued, assessed, and taxed by the same standards, methods, and procedures a...

Personal property treatment: Personal property taxed: No. Inventory taxed: No. Machinery and equipment taxed: No

Transfer charges: The state realty transfer tax rate on deeds, instruments, or writings is 3% when the value of the property transferred is at least $100. Counties, within their unincorporated areas, and municipalities are each authorized to levy an optional realty transfer tax of up to 1.5%.  If the local government levies the full 1.5% rate, the state rate reduced to 2.5%.  For first time homebuyers a portion of the state realty transfer tax is reduced by an amount equal to 0.5% applied to the value of the property not to exceed $400,000. At their option, counties may also exempt first-time homebuyers up to at least the value of the property or $400,000 whichever is less.  By ordinance, the county may in...

Legal definition: "Real property" shall mean any real property situated in this State or any interest in such real property, including, but not limited to, any lease of or mortgage upon such real property. Property subject to county taxation. All real property situated in this State shall be liable to taxation and assessment for public purposes by the county in which the property is located, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. Real property all of which shall be taxed at the same rate, shall consist ...