Moving to Delaware from Massachusetts

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Massachusetts to Delaware — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Massachusetts to Delaware, you would find that Delaware is 5.8% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $65,369 in Delaware to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Massachusetts to Delaware.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $65,369

To maintain the same standard of living in Delaware

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 10.9% less

Groceries

pay 5.0% less

Transportation

pay 10.8% less

Housing

pay 18.1% less

Childcare

pay 8.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

How Massachusetts and Delaware stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MA
308
DE
370
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MA
1077
DE
1831

Massachusetts performs better than Delaware across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MA
2.6%
DE
5.8%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MA
28.8%
DE
38.4%

Massachusetts performs better than Delaware across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MA
$525,800
DE
$326,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MA
$1,687
DE
$1,341

Delaware performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MA
91.9%
DE
91.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MA
29 min
DE
26 min

Massachusetts generally does better on infrastructure, though Delaware leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MA
4.7%
DE
5.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MA
$87,892
DE
$80,523

Massachusetts performs better than Delaware across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MA
79.0 yrs
DE
76.7 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MA
32%
DE
24%

Massachusetts performs better than Delaware across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Boston Rain: 43.8 in/yr (1112 mm)
59° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Dover Rain: 46.1 in/yr (1170 mm)
66° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Boston Dover
Jan–Mar 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) 75°/54°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) 84°/65°F (29°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) 58°/40°F (15°/4°C)
View all months
Month Boston Dover
Jan 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) 43°/27°F (6.3°/-2.7°C)
Feb 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) 47°/29°F (8.3°/-1.7°C)
Mar 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) 55°/36°F (12.7°/2.0°C)
Apr 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.8°C)
May 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C)
Jun 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.4°C)
Jul 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.2°C)
Aug 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.4°C)
Sep 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.6°C)
Oct 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C)
Nov 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) 58°/40°F (14.7°/4.3°C)
Dec 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) 47°/31°F (8.6°/-0.6°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Delaware than Massachusetts?

Generally yes: Delaware runs about 13% cheaper than Massachusetts on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Delaware?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,342 in Delaware for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Delaware safe?

Massachusetts performs better than Delaware across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Delaware compared to Massachusetts?

Massachusetts performs better than Delaware across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Delaware compared to Massachusetts?

The average high temperature in Dover is 66°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Dover receives around 46.1 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.

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