Moving to Delaware from Ohio

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Ohio to Delaware, you would find that Delaware is 19.8% more expensive than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $89,619 in Delaware to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dover averages 66°F vs 76°F in Columbus, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $89,619

To maintain the same standard of living in Delaware

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 7.1% more

Groceries

pay 15.0% more

Transportation

pay 13.4% less

Housing

pay 26.1% more

Childcare

pay 65.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.6% more

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 Ohio 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

OH
284
DE
370
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OH
1676
DE
1831

Ohio 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

OH
6.2%
DE
5.8%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OH
39.5%
DE
38.4%

Delaware performs significantly better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

OH
$199,200
DE
$326,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OH
$988
DE
$1,341

Ohio generally does better on what about housing?, though Delaware leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

OH
89.0%
DE
91.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OH
24 min
DE
26 min

Ohio generally does better on infrastructure, though Delaware leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

OH
4.0%
DE
5.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OH
$60,669
DE
$80,523

Delaware generally does better on employment & economy, though Ohio leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

OH
75.3 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

OH
21%
DE
24%

Delaware performs significantly better than Ohio 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.

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Columbus Dover
Jan–Mar 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) 75°/54°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) 84°/65°F (29°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 58°/40°F (15°/4°C)
View all months
Month Columbus Dover
Jan 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) 43°/27°F (6.3°/-2.7°C)
Feb 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) 47°/29°F (8.3°/-1.7°C)
Mar 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 55°/36°F (12.7°/2.0°C)
Apr 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.8°C)
May 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C)
Jun 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.4°C)
Jul 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.2°C)
Aug 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.4°C)
Sep 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.6°C)
Oct 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C)
Nov 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) 58°/40°F (14.7°/4.3°C)
Dec 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°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 Ohio?

Day-to-day costs in Delaware run about 19% higher than Ohio on average; specific cities can swing further.

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 $22,405 in Delaware for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Delaware safe?

Ohio performs better than Delaware across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Delaware compared to Ohio?

Delaware performs significantly better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Dover is 66°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Dover receives around 46.1 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in.

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