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Milton, DE Eviction Risk Score Sussex County · Delaware · Pop. 3,567

Updated
● Elevated Risk

Milton, DE sits at 5.9/10 — Elevated risk. 29.1% rent burden, 19.5% renters, ~68-day typical timeline.

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Score vs. benchmarks
Milton
5.9
Sussex County
5.5
Delaware avg
5.8
National avg
4.4
34.1%Tenant-law probabilityi
$2,513–7,436Typical eviction costi
68 daysTypical timelinei
13.36%Filing ratei
$1,398HUD 2BR FMR '25i
$1,310Median renti
29.1%Rent burdeni
19.5%Rentersi

Location & regional heat

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Heat = surrounding cities. Click any dot to compare.

Sub-score breakdown

Each component on a 1–10 scale. Ticks mark the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles nationally.

Local political climatei
5.0
Regional political climatei
5.0
State political climate
3.2
Economic stressi
6.1
Supply constrainti
6.6
Rent-control riski
7.0
Eviction process difficulty
2.6
Tenant organizing strengthi
5.1
Housing court bias
5.5
Eviction filing rate (ground truth)i
9.1
Voucher gap (market vs HUD FMR)i
0.0
Own rentals in or near Milton?
Free consultation — local rent-control exposure, notice requirements, and eviction defense risk.

About eviction risk in Milton, DE

Milton, DE has an eviction risk score of 5.9 out of 10, placing it in the elevated-risk tier for landlords operating in Sussex County and the state of Delaware. The score combines local political climate, court disposition patterns, cost-of-eviction estimates, tenant organizing strength, and the likelihood of new tenant-protective legislation in the next legislative cycle.

Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates show median gross rent as a percentage of household income is 29.1% — a core driver of eviction filings, because households above 30% of income on rent are statistically more likely to miss a payment after any income shock. Median gross rent in Milton is $1,310/month. About 19.5% of occupied units here are renter-occupied.

Economic stress: poverty rate 6.9%, unemployment 7.7%. Higher values correlate with higher eviction filing rates and longer court timelines.

Political climate: In 2020, Sussex County voted Republican by 11.3 points — classified as moderately landlord-leaning for purposes of rent-control or just-cause expansion risk.

What this score means for landlords

At 5.9/10, Milton is an elevated-risk environment. Tenant protections are stronger than the national median. Use proactive screening, document notices in writing, and understand your specific just-cause and rent-cap exposure before raising rent or terminating a tenancy.

Nearby Cities — Eviction Risk Comparison

City Distance Population Risk score
Ellendale, DE 6.6 mi 760 5.7
Georgetown, DE 7.2 mi 7,660 6.6
Lincoln, DE 8.8 mi 1,873 4.7
Lewes, DE 9 mi 3,505 5.8
Slaughter Beach, DE 9.9 mi 408 6.3
Milford, DE 11.1 mi 12,803 6.7
Henlopen Acres, DE 12.6 mi 176 4.6
Millsboro, DE 12.9 mi 7,424 5.9

Landlord Guides & Research Tools

Deepen your research with these guides. The metrics powering this score feed directly into each breakdown.

Landlord Guides for Delaware

Eviction Costs — Delaware →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Eviction Process — Delaware →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Rent Control — Delaware →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Tenant Screening — Delaware →
5-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Tenant Protections — Delaware →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry