Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Dover, DE?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.6% of gross income.
Dover rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Delaware state estimate).
About rent and a registered nurse salary
Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.
Cheaper rent nearby
These Delaware cities have lower median rent than Dover, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Dover
View full rent data for Dover, DE →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Dover, DE?
Median rent in Dover is $1,654 a month. A typical registered nurse in Delaware earns about $96,370 a year, which makes that rent 20.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Dover?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in Delaware (~$96,370/yr) supports up to $2,409 a month in rent. Dover's current median rent is $1,654/mo, which leaves a $755/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Dover?
At an hourly equivalent of about $46 an hour, a registered nurse in Delaware works roughly 35.7 hours a month to cover Dover's median rent of $1,654.
Where is rent cheaper than Dover for a registered nurse?
Nearby Delaware cities with lower median rent include Bear ($1,649/mo), New Castle ($1,648/mo), New Castle ($1,645/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.