2026 editionNortheastPop. 1,059,952Capital Dover1st state, admitted 1787Cook PVI D+10
Is Delaware a Good Place to Live? Delaware Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Delaware ranks #30 of 50 with a composite score of 53.6 and a C+ grade, strongest in livability (#10) and weakest in education (#42). The median household earns $87,534 (8% above the national median), homes typically cost $406,074 (10% above the national average), and violent crime is 347 per 100,000 (6% above the national average).
Nobody moves to Delaware for the jobs, since the economy ranks #36; people come anyway for no sales tax and an effective property tax of 0.55%. That works for retirees and remote workers bringing income from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and fails anyone who needs a deep local job market.
Delaware by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Delaware's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Delaware overview
Delaware scores above the national average in 3 of 11 categories and ranks #10 of 11 states in the Northeast, behind 9 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is total tax burden (6.52%, 2.2 points below the national average); its biggest shortfall is unemployment rate (4.8%, 0.8 points above the national average). That mix of top-10 finishes (1) and bottom-10 finishes (1) is why the composite alone undersells the tradeoffs a mover here faces.
Where does Delaware rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Delaware is top 10 in 1 and bottom 10 in 1.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 40.6 | #36 of 50 | C | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4.8% and median household income is $87,534. |
| Safety | 65.0 | #29 of 50 | C+ | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 346.9 violent crimes and 1,559.2 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 49.9 | #30 of 50 | C+ | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 76.5 years, 36.6% of adults have obesity, and 6.9% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 45.2 | #42 of 50 | C | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 263 in NAEP math and 250 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 87.8%. |
| Affordability | 62.1 | #30 of 50 | C+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $406,074 (4.6x median income); cost of living index 99.8 (100 = US); center-based infant care $17,252 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 67.2 | #13 of 50 | B+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $4,630 of debt per resident, has 87% of pensions funded, and holds a AAA credit rating. |
| Growth | 49.9 | #13 of 50 | B+ | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.94% last year; Census net domestic migration is +6.5 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 47.8 | #30 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 26.8 minutes, 2.3% of workers use public transit, and 12.9% work from home. |
| Livability | 46.4 | #10 of 50 | A | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.868 restaurants and 0.04 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.067 bars and 0.091 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 23.9 | #26 of 50 | B | 6% | 29.4 | 2.7% of its land is public, with 3.88 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 33.5 | #37 of 50 | C | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 41, 6% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 19.9. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Delaware's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Delaware bulges toward livability and dips at education.
How expensive is Delaware?
Delaware's cost of living index is 99.8 against a national baseline of 100, in line with the national average and #32 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $406,074 (10% above the national average); buying it takes an income of about $98,191, $10,657 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Dover is cheapest (index 97.5) and Elsmere priciest (102.6).
Housing market snapshot · August
Cool marketRanked #20 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #19 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $10,657 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Delaware housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Delaware | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$20,350 | −$11,758 | #31 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$29,275 | +$31,418 | #31 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$33,227 | +$35,970 | #31 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Delaware?
Delaware's tax mix is high income tax, low property tax, low sales tax. The total state and local tax burden comes to 6.52% of income, 2.2 points below the national average (#7 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 0.55% of home value (#7), and combined sales tax averages 0% (#3).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 67.2 out of 100, #13 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Delaware safe?
Delaware reports 347 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 6% above the national average and #32 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,559 per 100,000, 2% above the national average (#30 of 50). The safety score is 65 out of 100, #29 of 50; among tracked cities, Elsmere has the lowest violent crime rate.
Delaware vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Delaware
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsmere | 6,203 | 144 | 978 |
| Middletown | 24,661 | 186 | 1,392 |
| Newark | 30,330 | 299 | 1,735 |
| Millsboro | 7,424 | 345 | 2,786 |
| Milford | 12,803 | 464 | 2,615 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Delaware cities we track. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Delaware?
Delaware's unemployment rate is 4.8%, 0.8 points above the national average and #45 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $87,534, 8% above the national median. Real GDP grew +2.1% in the latest year (#20 of 50) and GDP per capita is $73,530, 14% above the national average. The population is growing 0.94% a year, 0.4 points above the national average. The economy score is 40.6 out of 100, #36 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Delaware, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $247,783 | $245,305 | Wilmington |
| Lawyers | $147,702 | $146,225 | Wilmington |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $132,779 | Wilmington |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $114,241 | $113,099 | Wilmington |
| General & Operations Managers | $108,782 | $107,694 | Wilmington |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Delaware's schools and healthcare?
Delaware's education score is 45.2 out of 100, #42 of 50. Eighth graders average 263 in NAEP math (#47 of 50) and 250 in reading (#46 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 87.8%, 2.2 points above the national average (#16 of 50).
Best public school cities we track, by graduation rate
| City | Grad rate | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middletown | 95.3% | 14.8 | $16,148 |
| Smyrna | 89% | 15.6 | $16,084 |
| Milford | 88% | 16.7 | $15,324 |
NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release. Cities with at least three schools.
Delaware is #30 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 76.5 years, 0.4 years below the national average. 36.6% of adults have obesity (#35 of 50) and 6.9% of residents have no health insurance (#23 of 50). The health score is 49.9 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Delaware, and who is leaving?
Delaware gained a net 4,054 households from other states in the latest IRS release: 21,280 moved in and 17,226 moved out, +3.8 per 1,000 residents (#2 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $88,435 against $76,502 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +5.0K people (33.4K in, 28.4K out, ±6.3K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Pennsylvania5,744 · $86,516
- 2Maryland3,847 · $95,274
- 3New Jersey2,434 · $101,410
- 4New York1,874 · $88,766
- 5Florida1,141 · $73,854
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Pennsylvania3,885 · $75,889
- 2Maryland2,955 · $65,632
- 3Florida1,546 · $109,625
- 4New Jersey1,241 · $74,927
- 5New York914 · $70,910
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Delaware?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Delaware cities we track are North Star (72.3), Hockessin (72.1), and Pike Creek (68.8). Dover is the cheapest (cost index 97.5), Hockessin the richest ($171,204), and Milford the fastest growing (+4.6% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Delaware cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Delaware
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Elsmere | 144 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Dover | cost of living index 97.5 |
| Most walkable | Seaford | walkability 15 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Milford | median AQI 39 (county) |
| Best schools | Middletown | 95.3% graduation rate |
| Richest | Hockessin | $171,204 |
Among the 20 Delaware cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Delaware
Bank towers and old DuPont money; the richest tracked cities and the poorest, Wilmington, a few miles apart, all within a Philadelphia commute on the interstate or SEPTA.
The University of Delaware, fast-growing subdivisions south of the canal, and North Star, the top-scoring tracked city, with the best schools and the longest commutes.
The capital, the Air Force base and the cheapest tracked city; flat farm country between the north's jobs and the south's beaches, with Milford growing fastest.
Rehoboth, Lewes and Bethany on the coast pulling retirees from three states; chicken country and Georgetown's Guatemalan community inland; summer traffic on Route One is the tax.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Star | A+ | 72.3 | 7,834 | $150,733 | — | 102.6 |
| 2 | Hockessin | A+ | 72.1 | 13,439 | $171,204 | — | 102.6 |
| 3 | Pike Creek | A+ | 68.8 | 7,129 | $139,635 | — | 102.6 |
| 4 | Middletown | A | 64.5 | 24,661 | $112,831 | 186 | 102.6 |
| 5 | Pike Creek Valley | B+ | 60.8 | 12,431 | $102,434 | — | 102.6 |
| 6 | Glasgow | B | 58.5 | 15,546 | $113,982 | — | 102.6 |
| 7 | Millsboro | C+ | 55.7 | 7,424 | $78,707 | 345 | — |
| 8 | Newark | C+ | 55.6 | 30,330 | $76,912 | 299 | 102.6 |
| 9 | Bear | C+ | 54.1 | 22,370 | $91,687 | — | 102.6 |
| 10 | Claymont | C+ | 53.3 | 8,786 | $74,712 | — | 102.6 |
| 11 | Wilmington Manor | C+ | 52.9 | 8,214 | $78,078 | — | 102.6 |
| 12 | Milford | C | 51.9 | 12,803 | $59,464 | 464 | — |
| 13 | Elsmere | C | 50.6 | 6,203 | $67,944 | 144 | 102.6 |
| 14 | Brookside | C | 49.9 | 15,115 | $78,328 | — | 102.6 |
| 15 | Smyrna | D | 47.6 | 13,165 | $67,048 | 544 | 97.5 |
| 16 | Wilmington | D | 46.9 | 71,727 | $58,671 | 1,152 | 102.6 |
| 17 | Edgemoor | D | 46.9 | 6,349 | $59,424 | — | 102.6 |
| 18 | Seaford | D | 46.2 | 8,485 | $54,016 | 641 | — |
| 19 | Dover | D | 44.9 | 39,837 | $60,199 | 847 | 97.5 |
| 20 | Georgetown | D | 42.8 | 7,660 | $49,719 | 719 | — |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Delaware cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Delaware for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middletown | 67.8 | 71.0 | 84.9 | 59.8 |
| 2 | Elsmere | 64.2 | — | 90.6 | 70.5 |
| 3 | Hockessin | 61.9 | — | — | 36.0 |
| 4 | Newark | 61.2 | 66.0 | 75.3 | 60.1 |
| 5 | North Star | 61.1 | — | — | 50.5 |
Who is Delaware best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Delaware cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Delaware compare with its neighbors?
Delaware ranks #30. Among its bordering states, Pennsylvania ranks highest (#25) and Maryland lowest (#31). Maryland is the most similar on the composite score and Pennsylvania the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | #30 | 53.6 | $87,534 | $406,074 | 99.8 | 347 | 6.52% | |
| Pennsylvania | #25 | 56.9 | $77,545 | $290,401 | 97.6 | 227 | 8.58% | Compare → |
| New Jersey | #28 | 55.0 | $104,294 | $580,353 | 108.8 | 194 | 10.3% | Compare → |
| Maryland | #31 | 53.6 | $102,905 | $428,308 | 105 | 358 | 10.04% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Delaware city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Delaware numbers say when read together.
Livability is Delaware's strongest suit
Delaware is a #30 state overall but #10 of 50 for livability, 20 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 46.4 against a national average of 34.3. Fiscal Health (#13) is next. Livability carries 7% of the composite.
Education is where Delaware falls furthest behind
Delaware ranks #42 of 50 for education, 12 places below its overall #30, with a score of 45.2 against a national average of 57.5. At 12% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Total tax burden is 2.2 points below the national average
Delaware's total tax burden is 6.52%, 2.2 points below the national average of 8.74%, #7 of 50 (1 = lowest). The largest gap in the other direction is unemployment rate: 4.8%, 0.8 points above the national average. Source: WalletHub tax burden study, latest release.
More households arrive than leave
Delaware ranks #2 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (+3.8). The households arriving report $11,933 more in average income than those leaving ($88,435 against $76,502), so the state is trading up on income even as the headcount grows. Pennsylvania is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed harder here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $20,350 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#31 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $29,275 surplus; a retiree couple at a $33,227 surplus. Infant childcare runs $17,252 a year, 10% above the national average.
Delaware sits 3rd among its 4-state neighborhood
2 of Delaware's 3 bordering states rank above its #30; the closest match on the composite is Maryland. Median income among them runs from $77,545 in Pennsylvania to $104,294 in New Jersey; Delaware is at $87,534.
Frequently asked questions about living in Delaware
Is Delaware a good place to live?
Delaware ranks #30 of 50 with a C+ grade, #10 of 11 in the Northeast. It is top 10 in livability and bottom 10 in education. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 3 of 6 (income, cost of living, and tax burden) and trails on home prices, violent crime, and unemployment. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Delaware rank among US states?
Delaware ranks #30 of 50 overall with a composite score of 53.6 (grade C+), and #10 of 11 states in the Northeast. Its best category rank is #10 (livability) and its worst #42 (education). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so C+ means rank 27–34.
Is it expensive to live in Delaware?
At #32 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Delaware is in line with the national average: its index is 99.8 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $406,074 (10% above the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $98,191 against a median household income of $87,534. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $20,350 shortfall after all costs, #31 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Delaware have a state income tax?
Yes. Delaware's top state income tax rate is 7.85% (#41 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 6.52% of income, 2.2 points below the national average. Property tax is 0.55% of home value and combined sales tax 0%.
What is the crime rate in Delaware?
Delaware reports 347 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 6% above the national average and #32 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,559 property crimes per 100,000, 2% above the national average (#30). Its safety score is 65 out of 100, #29 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Delaware have good schools?
Delaware is #42 of 50 for education (score 45.2 out of 100). Its public school students average 263 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#47) and 250 in eighth-grade reading (#46), and the high school graduation rate is 87.8%, 2.2 points above the national average (#16). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Middletown has the highest graduation rate at 95.3%.
Why are people moving to Delaware?
Delaware gained a net 4,054 households in the latest IRS release: 21,280 moved in and 17,226 moved out, +3.8 per 1,000 residents (#2 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is Pennsylvania (5,744 households) and the most common destination is Pennsylvania (3,885). Arriving households report an average income of $88,435 against $76,502 for those leaving, so movers in earn more than movers out. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Delaware a red or blue state?
Delaware leans blue: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is D+10, meaning it votes about 10 points more Democratic than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
Is Delaware a good place to retire?
For taxes, among the best in the Northeast; for health access, it depends on the county. Retirees rank #23. Social Security is untaxed, residents over sixty exclude a portion of pension income, and property tax runs 0.55%. A retiree couple on $75,000 ends the year at a $33,227 surplus, $2,743 below the national median. Most land in Sussex beach towns, where hospitals are stretched; life expectancy is 76.5 years.
What are the downsides of living in Delaware?
A thin job market and a crime rate carried by its cities. The economy ranks #36, unemployment is 4.8%, and violent crime of 347 per hundred thousand is 6% above the national average, mostly from Wilmington and Dover. Summer traffic on Route One is a local misery, the coast floods on a state that's mostly at sea level, and there's nothing to hike. The tax bill is the consolation.
Do I need a car in Delaware?
Yes. 2.3% of commuters use transit, in line with the national average, and DART buses cover Wilmington and Dover but not much you'd plan a life around. The exception is the SEPTA and Amtrak line through Wilmington and Newark for Philadelphia commuters. The mean commute is 26.8 minutes, and gas is $3.31 per gallon, in line with the national average. Downstate, everything is a drive, and in summer the beach drive is the whole afternoon.
Is Delaware cheaper than Maryland?
On taxes, clearly; on housing, roughly even. Delaware's tax burden is 6.52%, #7 lowest, while Maryland's sits well above the national 8.74%, and no sales tax is why Cecil County shops in Christiana. Home values are similar, with Delaware's typical $406,074 a touch under Maryland's. What Maryland has is the Baltimore and Washington job market and its salaries.
Where in Delaware should I live?
Depends on whether you still work. Philadelphia commuters and bank employees pick Hockessin, Pike Creek or the Brandywine suburbs, the richest tracked cities. Families chasing schools pick North Star and Appoquinimink, or Newark near the university. Retirees pick Lewes, Rehoboth, Millsboro or Milford, the fastest-growing tracked city, and accept summer traffic. Dover, the cheapest tracked city, is the compromise for state and Air Force workers.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Delaware's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.