Moving to Delaware
New residents have 60 days to get a Delaware driver license and must register a car within 60 days. Prices are 0.2% below the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $5,259 in Delaware income tax. 21,280 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from Pennsylvania and Maryland.
New resident checklist for Delaware
Driver license
Apply within 60 days of taking up residence; surrender your out-of-state license and bring ID, SSN and two proofs of DE residency. Class D fee $50 for 8 years. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Delaware address.
Vehicle title and registration
Title and register within 60 days. Every vehicle with an out-of-state title must go through a DMV inspection lane (safety inspection plus emissions test or VIN verification, based on model year and weight). Switch your auto insurance to a Delaware policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No sales tax, but a 5.25% vehicle document fee (min $8) on value applies when a vehicle is transferred in from another state. It's waived/credited only if you paid sales or transfer tax elsewhere and titled/registered there within 90 days before registering in DE.
Annual registration: Flat $40 per year for passenger vehicles (5,000 lb or less); new vehicles can register up to 7 years and older ones 1-2 years after inspection. Title $35 ($55 with lien).
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $110.
Establishing residency
Residency starts when you take up residence in Delaware; active military and dependents are exempt until 60 days after separation. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Delaware
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Delaware income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,030 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: dmv.de.gov. Sources: dmv.de.gov (2), dmv.de.gov (3), dmv.de.gov (4), dmv.de.gov (5). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Delaware motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Delaware
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Delaware.
Equal salary in DE: $85,000
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $85,000 in Delaware to match $80,000 in Pennsylvania ($5,000 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $80,000 | Pennsylvania | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $8,770 | $8,770 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,120 | $6,120 |
| State income tax | $2,456 | $3,939 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $56 | $320 |
| Take-home pay | $62,598 | $60,851 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Delaware: Pennsylvania to Delaware, Maryland to Delaware, New Jersey to Delaware, New York to Delaware, Florida to Delaware and Virginia to Delaware.
Living in Delaware: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Delaware is in the best 10 for homeowners insurance and property tax rate, and in the worst 10 for state income tax, natural hazard risk and car insurance.
- Median rent
- $1,530/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $2,200/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $73,521 $1,558 less than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 0.47% median $1,750/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 93 of 100 Among the highest of U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 21,280 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Delaware
How Delaware ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Delaware ranks best
- Top 5 Lowest homeowners insurance: $1,030 a year at the median for homes with a mortgage (Census ACS 2024), 3rd lowest of 51.
- Top 10 Lowest property tax rate: 0.47% of home value a year, tied with 1 other state for 7th lowest.
Where Delaware ranks worst
- Bottom 10 Highest state income tax: $5,259 on a $100,000 salary, 6th highest of 51.
- Bottom 10 Highest natural hazard risk: FEMA risk score 93 of 100, tied with 1 other state for 8th highest.
- Bottom 10 Highest car insurance costs: $1,462 a year per car on average (NAIC 2023), tied with 1 other state for 9th highest.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Delaware residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 21,280 households filed their taxes in Delaware after filing in another state the year before. Pennsylvania sent the most, 5,744 households (27% of the total). Delaware gained a net 4,054 households from other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Delaware from other states peaked in 2021–22 at 22,233 households, then fell 4% to 21,280 in 2022–23, up 16% from 2018–19. Delaware gained households from other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 +3,233, 2019–20 +5,117, 2020–21 +5,643, 2021–22 +5,003, 2022–23 +4,054.
Cost of living in Delaware vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Delaware are 0.2% below the U.S. average, 32nd cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in goods (96.2), 4% below the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $151/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,462/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $691/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Delaware: take-home pay at three incomes
Delaware taxes wages. Workers also pay about $400 a year in state payroll programs at $100,000, which the take-home figures include. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | DE income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $2,098 | $40,057 | -$721 |
| $100,000 | $5,259 | $73,521 | -$1,558 |
| $150,000 | $8,559 | $104,632 | -$2,955 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Delaware income and payroll taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
Delaware has no statewide sales tax. Homeowners pay a median $1,750 a year in property tax, 0.47% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Delaware taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Delaware: where a paycheck goes furthest
None of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover is centered in Delaware.
Parts of Delaware belong to the Philadelphia metro area, which is centered outside Delaware.
Housing and home insurance in Delaware
| Measure | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,530 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $371,600 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,200 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $94,265 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $1,750 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,030 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Delaware for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Delaware
Delaware's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 93 of 100, among the highest of U.S. counties and 43rd safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $381 per resident a year, and about 58% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Delaware county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Delaware come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 21,280 households moved to Delaware from other states. The most came from Pennsylvania (5,744 households), Maryland (3,847) and New Jersey (2,434).
What are the pros and cons of living in Delaware?
Where Delaware ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest homeowners insurance, 3rd lowest of 51; lowest property tax rate, tied with 1 other state for 7th lowest. Where it ranks worst: highest state income tax, 6th highest of 51; highest natural hazard risk, tied with 1 other state for 8th highest; highest car insurance costs, tied with 1 other state for 9th highest.
Is Delaware expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Delaware are 0.2% below the U.S. average (BEA price level 99.8, 2024), 32nd cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,530 a month and the median home is worth $371,600.
How long do I have to get a Delaware driver license after moving?
60 days after becoming a resident. Apply within 60 days of taking up residence; surrender your out-of-state license and bring ID, SSN and two proofs of DE residency. Class D fee $50 for 8 years.
How long do I have to register my car in Delaware?
60 days. Title and register within 60 days. Every vehicle with an out-of-state title must go through a DMV inspection lane (safety inspection plus emissions test or VIN verification, based on model year and weight).
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Delaware?
No sales tax, but a 5.25% vehicle document fee (min $8) on value applies when a vehicle is transferred in from another state. It's waived/credited only if you paid sales or transfer tax elsewhere and titled/registered there within 90 days before registering in DE.
What makes me a Delaware resident?
Residency starts when you take up residence in Delaware; active military and dependents are exempt until 60 days after separation.