Cost of Living in Dover, Delaware
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Dover, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 40,592
- Median household income
- $60,199
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 97.5
- Unemployment rate
- 8%
Is Dover a good place to live?
Dover is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 120 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Dover keeps $4,917 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living2% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,286 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,914 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Dover
Prices in the Dover, DE area run 2% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 4% below the US average.
- Housing4% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities3% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items2% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,286 | $15,432 |
| Food | $476 | $5,712 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $348 | $4,176 |
| Utilities | $253 | $3,036 |
| Total before taxes | $2,739 | $32,868 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Dover | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,276 | $1,286 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,286 | $1,294 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,618 | $1,629 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,228 | $2,244 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,576 | $2,590 |
Living in Dover
How Dover compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year).
| Measure | Dover | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,199 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $258,900 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,344 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 53.1% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 34.7 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 22.9 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 9% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.2% | 3.7% |
Home internet
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Dover, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Fiber reaches 81.5% of homes and 93.1% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Dover
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 22.9 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $258,900, against $360,600 nationally.
- Fast home internet. 93.1% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 8%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2020–2024 5-year).
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $4,917 a year, less than in 120 of 178 large cities.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $60,199, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Dover
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $46,690
- Federal income tax
- −$3,423
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,572
- State income tax
- −$1,914
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,432
- Everyday costs
- −$17,432
a year, or $410 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Dover, DE. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Dover, DE area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $91,620 | $35,715 |
| Accountant | $72,730 | $23,672 |
| Teacher | $72,495 | $23,522 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $62,140 | $16,473 |
| Electrician | $60,750 | $15,434 |
| Social worker | $55,778 | $11,715 |
| Truck driver | $54,150 | $10,498 |
| Auto mechanic | $48,800 | $6,495 |
| Medical assistant | $41,000 | $660 |
| Nursing assistant | $39,600 | −$386 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Dover on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $8,993
- Civil engineer $40,828
- Dental assistant $4,177
- Dental hygienist $38,972
- Diesel mechanic $16,235
- Financial analyst $42,204
- Firefighter $4,932
- HVAC technician $14,731
- Lawyer $86,885
- Lineman $40,158
- Mechanical engineer $41,631
- Nurse practitioner $55,653
- Occupational therapist $38,259
- Paralegal $13,998
- Paramedic $18,034
- Pharmacist $73,560
- Pharmacy technician $3,585
- Physical therapist $39,948
- Physician assistant $59,517
- Plumber $13,684
- Police officer $36,576
- Project manager $47,394
- Radiologic technologist $30,991
- Respiratory therapist $31,119
- Software engineer $45,857
- Speech-language pathologist $40,375
- Welder $6,279
Compare Dover with other cities
Compare Dover with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Dover
5 licensed interstate movers are based in Dover, and 3 more elsewhere in the Dover, DE area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Dover, DE a good place to live?
Dover is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 120 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $46,690 and keeps $4,917 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Dover?
Prices in the Dover, DE area are 2% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,286 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,453 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Dover?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $40,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Dover, DE area earns $46,690.
What is the average rent in Dover?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,276 for a studio, $1,286 for a 1-bedroom and $1,618 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Dover at $1,344 a month (2024).
Does Dover have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $46,690, Delaware state income tax comes to about $1,914 a year. Dover has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Dover?
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Dover, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. 81.5% of homes can get fiber and 93.1% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
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, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area 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 MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate