BEA Regional Price Parity 2024 · Census ACS 2023
Cost of Living in Delaware 2026
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) of 99.8 in BEA's 2024 dataset, which means goods and services in Delaware cost 0.2% cheaper than the US average. The state ranks #20 of 51 for cost of living. Median household income in Delaware is $82,855 per Census ACS 2023, which translates to $83,014 in US-average purchasing power after adjusting for the local price level.
Key numbers
RPP
99.8
0.2% below US avg
Rank
#20
of 51 for COL
Median Income
$82,855
Census ACS 2023
Adjusted Income
$83,014
In US-avg dollars
Housing costs
Median Rent
$1,341
/ month, gross
Median Home Value
$326,800
Owner-occupied
Homeownership
72.3%
Of occupied units
Housing accounts for the single largest share of cost-of-living variation between states. The RPP figure above already incorporates rent differences alongside other goods and services.
Metro areas in Delaware by cost of living
| Metro Area | RPP | vs US |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | +2.6% |
| Dover | 97.5 | -2.5% |
Delaware cost of living vs. similar states
| State | RPP | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 100.0 | -0.0% |
| Nevada | 100.0 | -0.0% |
| Arizona | 100.7 | +0.7% |
| Utah | 98.9 | -1.1% |
| Minnesota | 98.6 | -1.4% |
| Virginia | 101.1 | +1.1% |
Sorted by RPP closeness to Delaware. For a side-by-side comparison of any two states across 18 demographic and economic metrics, visit the comparison page.
About this data
BEA Regional Price Parities are the federal government's official cost-of-living index, used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and IRS for benefits adjustments. Index value 100 is the US national average, so a state RPP of 110 means goods and services cost 10% more than the US average, and an RPP of 90 means 10% less. Some demographic aggregators use composite indices like MERIC instead of the federal BEA RPP — the two disagree on roughly half the states because they weight rent, groceries, healthcare, and transportation differently. We use the federal index because it is methodologically transparent and standard across federal benefits programs.
For more on how we compare to common alternative aggregators, see Is WorldPopulationReview Accurate? You can verify any RPP figure directly at BEA.gov, or download our full dataset at /data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) of 99.8 in BEA's 2024 dataset, which means goods and services in Delaware cost 0.2% cheaper than the US average. The state ranks #20 of 51 for cost of living. Median household income in Delaware is $82,855 per Census ACS 2023, which translates to $83,014 in US-average purchasing power after adjusting for the local price level.
Delaware is 0.2% cheaper than the US average, ranking #20 of 51 US states. Lower costs are typical for housing, services, and basic goods. BEA Regional Price Parities are the federal government's official cost-of-living index — used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and IRS for benefits adjustments.
Delaware's RPP of 99.8 compares to a US national average of 100. A dollar of income in Delaware buys more than the same dollar would on average across the United States. To convert nominal income to real (cost-of-living-adjusted) purchasing power, multiply by 100 and divide by the state RPP.
Delaware's median rent is $1,341 per Census ACS 2023. Median home value is $326,800. Homeownership rate is 72.3%. Housing typically accounts for the largest single component of cost-of-living differences across states.
In BEA's 2024 Regional Price Parities release, the highest-RPP metro in Delaware is Philadelphia (RPP 102.6). Metro areas typically vary 5–15 points above and below the state average, with the urban core costing more than smaller cities and rural areas in the same state.
Cost-of-living figures on this page come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP) series, the federal government's official cost-of-living index. Income, rent, and home-value figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates. Both are public-domain federal data; the RPP vintage is 2024. Last refreshed April 12, 2026.
BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) measure the price level of an area relative to the US national average (=100). RPP is computed from the same Consumer Price Index inputs the BLS uses, recombined geographically. Income, rent, and home-value figures from US Census ACS 2023 5-Year estimates. Adjusted income = (median income × 100) ÷ state RPP. Last refreshed April 12, 2026.