NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Dover, DE

Metro Market Score 48.0 (Challenging), ranked #203 of 330 metros. 158 establishments, 459 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing employment in Dover contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the lower half at 4.8. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

5.2

LQ: 0.42

Rank #17 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

56.1

$57,013 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 4.8

Employment growth index

Rank #315 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

21.0

YoY wage change index

158 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Dover

158

Establishments

-1.2% YoY

459

Total Employment

-9.1% YoY

$57,013

Average Annual Wage

+6.5% YoY

0.42

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Delaware

#1 of 1

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

Delaware state rank

#47 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (48.0)

Dover vs Delaware Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to Delaware overall. The state ranks #47/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Dover	DE Statewide
Overall Score	48.0 Challenging	53.2 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#203 of 330 metros	#47 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Dover

Construction 36.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 39.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 40.4 Finance and Insurance 45.6 Other Services 50.8 Information 51.8 Retail Trade 69.8 Administrative and Support Services 69.9

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Dover's 48.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 48.0 #202/330 Greenville, NC 47.9 #201/330 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 47.9 #200/330 Pittsfield, MA 48.2 #204/330 Gettysburg, PA 48.2 #205/330 Muncie, IN 47.6 #199/330 Rapid City, SD 48.5 #206/330 Kankakee, IL 47.5 #198/330 El Paso, TX 48.6 #207/330 Medford, OR 48.6 #208/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering Delaware

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Pennsylvania 24.5 #1/51 New Jersey 37.3 #19/51 Maryland 50.4 #42/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Dover's real estate and rental and leasing sector, the employment growth component (95.2) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Dover, DE MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment