Moving to Delaware from Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Virginia to Delaware? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Virginia to Delaware, you would find that Delaware is 3.3% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $69,947 in Delaware to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Virginia and Delaware.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,947
To maintain the same standard of living in Delaware
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 8.9% less
Groceries
pay 11.6% less
Transportation
pay 11.3% less
Housing
pay 3.5% less
Childcare
pay 9.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.2% less
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 Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia performs better than Delaware 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
Virginia 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
Delaware performs significantly better than Virginia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Delaware performs significantly better than Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Virginia generally does better on employment & economy, though Delaware leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Virginia 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Richmond | Dover |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 75°/54°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 84°/65°F (29°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 58°/40°F (15°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Dover |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 43°/27°F (6.3°/-2.7°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 47°/29°F (8.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 55°/36°F (12.7°/2.0°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.4°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 58°/40°F (14.7°/4.3°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 47°/31°F (8.6°/-0.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Delaware than Virginia?
On average Delaware is about 7% less expensive than Virginia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Delaware?
Budget about $17,487 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?
Virginia performs better than Delaware across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Delaware compared to Virginia?
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Delaware leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Delaware compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Dover is 66°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Dover receives around 46.1 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
