Northeast · Updated October 2026
Delaware in numbers, from the same public data Locustep uses to rank all 50 states: rent, pay, taxes, safety, disaster risk and weather, plus the cities worth a look.
Two-bedroom rent
$1,727/mo
U.S. average $1,759
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state)
Rent vs. income
23.7%
of median household income for a year of two-bedroom rent
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 ÷ 2024 ACS 1-year estimates (Census B19013)
State income tax
6.6%
top marginal rate, single filer
State revenue departments, 2026 income tax rates (sources listed per state)
Property tax
0.47%
effective rate on owner-occupied homes
Everyday costs
99.3
index, housing excluded (U.S. = 100)
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (released February 2026), housing and utilities removed
Natural disaster risk
39th
percentile, FEMA expected annual loss (lower is safer)
Where Delaware stands out: the 7th lowest property taxes among the 50 states.
Overall, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.7% of it in state and local income, property and sales tax here, the 20th lowest of the 50 states.
Average afternoon highs and overnight lows in Wilmington (Wilmington New Castle County Airport station), NOAA 1991–2020 normals.
| Season | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 44°F | 28°F |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 63°F | 44°F |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 85°F | 66°F |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | 67°F | 48°F |
$1,860/mo two-bedroom · $1,558 one-bedroom (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA)
Wilmington is a corporate-law and banking centre owing to Delaware's business-friendly incorporation rules, with a train station on the Northeast corridor. Small, affordable relative to Philadelphia, with no sales tax and a modest downtown.
$1,629/mo two-bedroom · $1,294 one-bedroom (Dover, DE MSA)
Dover is Delaware's small state capital, with an Air Force base, a university and a NASCAR speedway. Very affordable, quiet, flat and central to the state, with limited nightlife.
$1,860/mo two-bedroom · $1,558 one-bedroom (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA)
Newark is the University of Delaware's town — walkable Main Street, a young population and easy access to both Wilmington and Philadelphia. Cheap by mid-Atlantic standards, with a rhythm set by the academic year.
$1,498/mo two-bedroom · $1,147 one-bedroom (Sussex County, DE)
Rehoboth Beach is a small Atlantic resort town with a boardwalk, a long-established LGBTQ+ community and tax-free shopping. Packed in summer, near-empty in winter, and increasingly expensive as retirees settle in.
$1,860/mo two-bedroom · $1,558 one-bedroom (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA)
Middletown is one of Delaware's fastest-growing suburbs — new subdivisions, good schools and open farmland at the edges. Family-oriented, car-dependent, and a commute to Wilmington or Newark for most work.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state) (metro areas). City notes: Locustep.
Closest on Locustep’s match factors: cost, housing, taxes, safety, jobs, schools, healthcare, outdoors, disaster risk and climate.
Ranks compare the 50 states. Locustep updates these figures when the agencies publish new data.
Yes. Delaware’s top marginal income-tax rate for a single filer is 6.6% (Delaware tax law, 2026). Counting property and sales tax too, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.7% of income in state and local taxes (Locustep estimate, 2026).
A typical two-bedroom rents for about $1,727 a month and a one-bedroom for about $1,407, using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents averaged across the state by population. That is $32 less than the U.S. average of $1,759. Rent in the bigger metros can be well above the state figure.
Leaving housing aside, everyday prices (goods and services other than housing) index at 99.3 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA, 2024), and the median home value indexes at 103.1 against the U.S. median (Census, 2024). Two-bedroom rent takes 23.7% of the state’s median household income of $87,534.
Delaware recorded 360.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024 (FBI), the 21st highest rate of the 50 states. Crime varies a lot between and within cities, so check the specific area you’re considering.
The main hazards are flooding and hurricanes. On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Delaware’s expected yearly loss from natural hazards sits at the 39th percentile nationally (lower is safer). Risk differs sharply by county, so look up the county too.
Places people most often weigh include Wilmington, Dover, Newark, Rehoboth Beach and Middletown. Each has a different cost, climate and character; Locustep compares their rent, disaster risk, weather and pay side by side.