Where to live

Where to live near Dover AFB

10 towns within about an hour of the main post area: drive time, rent, home values and the school district for each.

Town centers and the main post area. Dot size is population.

Quick answers

ClosestDover Base Housing5 min drive
Biggest nearbyDover39,837 people
Lowest median rentCheswold$880 a month
Most E-5 BAH left overKent Acres$1,309 over a 2-bedroom
10 towns, closest first

Towns around Dover AFB

The green or red number is an E-5 with dependents' 2026 BAH ($2,277) minus that town's median 2-bedroom rent. Check your own pay grade.

Dover Base Housing, DE

5 min drive · 1.3 road mi
Median rent
$2,139
2 bedrooms
$1,909
3 bedrooms
$2,148
Home value
-
People
2,962
Homes rented
100%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$368 a month

Caesar Rodney School District: 15 schools, 8,259 students, 14.4 students per teacher. District facts

Highland Acres, DE

8 min drive · 3.4 road mi
Median rent
$1,583
2 bedrooms
$1,250
3 bedrooms
$1,535
Home value
$306,400
People
3,752
Homes rented
18%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,027 a month

Caesar Rodney School District: 15 schools, 8,259 students, 14.4 students per teacher. District facts

Kent Acres, DE

10 min drive · 4.3 road mi
Median rent
$1,574
2 bedrooms
$968
3 bedrooms
$991
Home value
$241,600
People
2,388
Homes rented
16%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,309 a month

Caesar Rodney School District: 15 schools, 8,259 students, 14.4 students per teacher. District facts

Rising Sun-Lebanon, DE

10 min drive · 4.3 road mi
Median rent
$1,755
2 bedrooms
$1,300
3 bedrooms
$1,677
Home value
$389,900
People
4,163
Homes rented
32%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$977 a month

Caesar Rodney School District: 15 schools, 8,259 students, 14.4 students per teacher. District facts

Dover, DE

11 min drive · 4.7 road mi
Median rent
$1,344
2 bedrooms
$1,263
3 bedrooms
$1,662
Home value
$258,900
People
39,837
Homes rented
53%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,014 a month

Capital School District: 14 schools, 6,547 students, 17.6 students per teacher. District facts

Camden, DE

13 min drive · 6.6 road mi
Median rent
$1,836
2 bedrooms
-
3 bedrooms
$2,106
Home value
$300,100
People
4,106
Homes rented
20%

E-5 BAH left over after the median rent: +$441 a month

Caesar Rodney School District: 15 schools, 8,259 students, 14.4 students per teacher. District facts

Wyoming, DE

15 min drive · 6.3 road mi
Median rent
$1,558
2 bedrooms
$1,526
3 bedrooms
$1,598
Home value
$290,900
People
2,000
Homes rented
31%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$751 a month

Caesar Rodney School District: 15 schools, 8,259 students, 14.4 students per teacher. District facts

Cheswold, DE

19 min drive · 11.5 road mi
Median rent
$880
2 bedrooms
$1,196
3 bedrooms
$868
Home value
$314,600
People
2,143
Homes rented
5%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,081 a month

Capital School District: 14 schools, 6,547 students, 17.6 students per teacher. District facts

Middletown, DE

40 min drive · 28.2 road mi
Median rent
$1,583
2 bedrooms
$1,611
3 bedrooms
$1,664
Home value
$409,600
People
24,661
Homes rented
23%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$666 a month

Appoquinimink School District: 21 schools, 12,945 students, 14.8 students per teacher. District facts

Bear, DE

54 min drive · 41.3 road mi
Median rent
$1,771
2 bedrooms
$1,711
3 bedrooms
$2,060
Home value
$304,800
People
22,370
Homes rented
35%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$566 a month

Christina School District: 29 schools, 13,076 students, 12.1 students per teacher. District facts

Where these numbers come from

  • Towns: every town, city and census place of 1,000 or more people within about an hour's drive, from the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Drive time: from each town's center to the main post area on OpenStreetMap roads, without traffic, so rush hour runs longer.
  • Rent, home value, renters: Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 medians. They include long-time renters and utilities, so new leases usually cost more. Use them to compare towns, and the HUD rent on the BAH page for today's level.
  • Schools: the public district that covers each town's center, with size from the NCES Common Core of Data (2023-24). Confirm the school for a specific address with the district.

Updated October 12, 2026. How we get our numbers.

Dover AFB base guide   Dover AFB BAH   Other bases

FAQ

Living near Dover AFB

What is the closest town to Dover Air Force Base?

Dover Base Housing, DE is about 5 minutes from the main post area (1.3 road miles) without traffic.

What is the biggest town near Dover Air Force Base?

Dover, DE, with about 39,837 people, 11 minutes from the main post area. Bigger towns usually mean more rentals, schools and jobs to choose from.

Which town near Dover Air Force Base has the lowest rent?

Cheswold, DE, where the Census median rent is $880 a month (rent plus utilities, 2020-2024 average). New leases usually cost more than the median, so check current listings too.

Does BAH cover rent near Dover Air Force Base?

For an E-5 with dependents the 2026 DoD BAH is $2,277 a month. That is at or above the Census median 2-bedroom rent in 9 of the 9 towns here with a Census figure for that size, with the most left over in Kent Acres, DE.

What school district serves Dover Base Housing?

Caesar Rodney School District, with 15 schools and 8,259 students (14.4 students per teacher), from the NCES Common Core of Data. Always confirm the school for a specific address with the district.