Moving to Delaware from Washington
What to Expect
Considering a move from Washington to Delaware? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Washington to Delaware, you would find that Delaware is 10.2% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $67,300 in Delaware to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Washington and Delaware.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $67,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Delaware
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 25.0% less
Groceries
pay 6.4% less
Transportation
pay 21.9% less
Housing
pay 6.8% less
Childcare
pay 1.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.2% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Delaware cost about 20% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Delaware compared to Washington.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Washington generally does better on safety, though Delaware leads in property crime rate.
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
Washington 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 Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington generally does better on infrastructure, though Delaware leads in average commute.
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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Delaware leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs better than Delaware 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 | Olympia | Dover |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 75°/54°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 84°/65°F (29°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 58°/40°F (15°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Dover |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 43°/27°F (6.3°/-2.7°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 47°/29°F (8.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 55°/36°F (12.7°/2.0°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 58°/40°F (14.7°/4.3°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/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 Washington?
On average Delaware is about 10% less expensive than Washington, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Delaware?
Budget about $16,825 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?
Washington generally does better on safety, though Delaware leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Delaware compared to Washington?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Delaware leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Delaware compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Dover is 66°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Dover receives around 46.1 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
