Cost of Living in Delaware
What it costs to live in Delaware, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 1,051,917
- Median household income
- $87,534
- State income tax
- Up to 6.6%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 99.8
What a typical paycheck keeps in Delaware
The typical Delaware worker earns $52,190 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $7,291 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $52,190
- Federal income tax
- −$4,083
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,993
- State income tax
- −$2,220
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,884
- Everyday costs
- −$17,719
a year, or $608 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Delaware.
Cost of living in Delaware
Prices across Delaware run about the same as the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing2% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities4% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% above the US average
- All itemsAbout the same as the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,407 | $16,884 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $375 | $4,500 |
| Healthcare | $356 | $4,272 |
| Utilities | $270 | $3,240 |
| Total before taxes | $2,883 | $34,596 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Delaware taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 0% |
| $2,000 | 2.2% |
| $5,000 | 3.9% |
| $10,000 | 4.8% |
| $20,000 | 5.2% |
| $25,000 | 5.6% |
| $60,000 | 6.6% |
Taxes on the median household income
$87,534 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$10,427 |
| Payroll taxes | −$6,696 |
| State income tax | −$4,436 |
| Effective tax rate | 24.6% |
Cities in Delaware
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Delaware city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Delaware
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $173,510 | $85,146 |
| Pharmacist | $152,880 | $72,408 |
| Physician assistant | $139,350 | $64,053 |
| Software engineer | $133,020 | $60,144 |
| Nurse practitioner | $131,040 | $58,920 |
| Mechanical engineer | $125,130 | $55,272 |
| Project manager | $122,190 | $53,455 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $102,760 | $41,078 |
| Occupational therapist | $102,130 | $40,675 |
| Physical therapist | $102,050 | $40,625 |
| Financial analyst | $101,800 | $40,465 |
| Civil engineer | $100,220 | $39,458 |
| Registered nurse | $99,520 | $39,013 |
| Dental hygienist | $98,910 | $38,623 |
| Lineman | $97,180 | $37,520 |
Salary pages in Delaware, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Delaware
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $297,470 |
| Financial Managers | $181,580 |
| Lawyers | $173,510 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $168,500 |
| Managers, All Other | $168,060 |
| Financial Risk Specialists | $139,440 |
| General and Operations Managers | $137,220 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $134,820 |
| Software Developers | $133,020 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $132,710 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $131,040 |
| Chemists | $129,860 |
| Project Management Specialists | $122,190 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $110,560 |
| Physical Therapists | $102,050 |
Living in Delaware
Delaware against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Delaware | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $371,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,530 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 9.6% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 36% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 26.8 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.9% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Delaware with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Delaware?
Prices in Delaware are about the same as the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,407 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,477 a month.
Does Delaware have a state income tax?
Yes. Delaware's income tax rate is up to 6.6%. On a typical wage of $52,190, a single filer pays about $2,220 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Delaware?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $42,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Delaware earns $52,190 and keeps $7,291 after those costs.
Where in Delaware does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Delaware cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Wilmington ($7,935 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Dover ($4,917).
What jobs pay the most in Delaware?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Delaware goes to Physicians, All Other ($297,470); Financial Managers ($181,580); Lawyers ($173,510) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate