Moving to Delaware from South Carolina
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Carolina to Delaware? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Carolina to Delaware, you would find that Delaware is 1.7% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $76,300 in Delaware to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Carolina and Delaware.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Delaware
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 15.5% less
Groceries
pay 12.7% less
Transportation
pay 4.8% less
Housing
pay 10.0% more
Childcare
pay 49.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.5% more
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
The numbers behind daily life in Delaware compared to South Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Delaware performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Delaware leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina generally does better on what about housing?, though Delaware leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
South Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Delaware leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Delaware generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Delaware performs significantly better than South Carolina across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Columbia | Dover |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 75°/54°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 84°/65°F (29°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 58°/40°F (15°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Dover |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 43°/27°F (6.3°/-2.7°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 47°/29°F (8.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 55°/36°F (12.7°/2.0°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.4°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 58°/40°F (14.7°/4.3°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 47°/31°F (8.6°/-0.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Delaware than South Carolina?
Delaware and South Carolina are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Delaware?
Budget about $19,075 for 3 months in Delaware (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Delaware safe?
Delaware performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Delaware compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Delaware leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Delaware compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Dover is 66°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Dover receives around 46.1 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
