Delaware vs Florida: cost of living compared
Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).
Is it cheaper to live in Delaware or Florida?
- Overall, Florida is 3.6% more expensive than Delaware (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Delaware works out to about $77,700 in Florida, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is housing, which costs 19.7% more in Florida. Goods are 2.0% higher and other services 0.1% higher.
- After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $57,131 in Florida and $55,185 in Delaware (3.5% higher in Florida; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
- Inside each state, metro price levels run from 85.4 in The Villages, FL to 114.2 in Miami, FL (Florida) and 97.5 in Dover, DE, its only metro area (Delaware), US = 100.
- The gap has widened since 2019, when Florida was 0.8% more expensive than Delaware.
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both states against the US average (100).
Housing drives the gap: 19.7% higher in Florida than in Delaware
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Delaware
- Florida
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Delaware | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 99.8 | 103.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 98.1 |
| Housing (rents) | 102.0 | 122.1 |
| Utilities | 103.8 | 90.1 |
| Other services | 101.2 | 101.3 |
| Category | Delaware | Florida | Florida vs Delaware |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 99.8 | 103.4 | +3.6% |
| Goods | 96.2 | 98.1 | +2.0% |
| Housing (rents) | 102.0 | 122.1 | +19.7% |
| Utilities | 103.8 | 90.1 | −13.2% |
| Other services | 101.2 | 101.3 | +0.1% |
| Income per person, adjusted for prices | $55,185 | $57,131 | +3.5% |
| Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* | $4.31 | $3.98 | −7.7% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Delaware | $75,000 | $77,700 | +3.6% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Central Atlantic region average (EIA has no separate Delaware figure).
Cheapest and most expensive places in each state
Delaware
- Dover, DE 97.5
- Philadelphia, PA 102.6
Florida
- The Villages, FL 85.4
- Sebring, FL 92.5
- Homosassa Springs, FL 93.5
- Tallahassee, FL 93.9
- Ocala, FL 95.2
- Gainesville, FL 96.7
- Crestview, FL 97.0
- Lakeland, FL 97.1
- Panama City, FL 97.3
- Pensacola, FL 97.7
- Sebastian, FL 98.3
- Deltona, FL 99.4
- Jacksonville, FL 99.5
- Palm Bay, FL 100.0
- Port St. Lucie, FL 100.2
- Punta Gorda, FL 100.5
- Tampa, FL 100.9
- Orlando, FL 101.4
- Cape Coral, FL 102.3
- North Port, FL 102.4
- Naples, FL 103.2
- Miami, FL 114.2
Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Delaware and Florida has widened since 2008: 0.9 points then, 3.6 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Delaware
- Florida
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Delaware | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 100.8 | 101.7 |
| 2009 | 102.1 | 100.5 |
| 2010 | 101.5 | 100.4 |
| 2011 | 100.4 | 100.8 |
| 2012 | 99.6 | 101.1 |
| 2013 | 98.6 | 100.7 |
| 2014 | 99.7 | 100.9 |
| 2015 | 97.9 | 101.3 |
| 2016 | 98.5 | 101.1 |
| 2017 | 98.5 | 100.9 |
| 2018 | 99.3 | 100.3 |
| 2019 | 98.8 | 99.6 |
| 2020 | 96.8 | 100.6 |
| 2021 | 97.4 | 101.4 |
| 2022 | 98.0 | 102.3 |
| 2023 | 98.8 | 103.6 |
| 2024 | 99.8 | 103.4 |
Goods
- Delaware
- Florida
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Delaware | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 103.5 | 98.9 |
| 2009 | 101.9 | 97.0 |
| 2010 | 101.5 | 97.3 |
| 2011 | 102.5 | 97.4 |
| 2012 | 99.4 | 98.0 |
| 2013 | 97.1 | 98.6 |
| 2014 | 95.7 | 98.3 |
| 2015 | 97.1 | 97.4 |
| 2016 | 98.6 | 97.5 |
| 2017 | 96.5 | 98.4 |
| 2018 | 96.8 | 97.7 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 96.1 |
| 2020 | 94.5 | 97.4 |
| 2021 | 94.5 | 98.4 |
| 2022 | 94.6 | 98.0 |
| 2023 | 97.3 | 98.2 |
| 2024 | 96.2 | 98.1 |
Housing (rents)
- Delaware
- Florida
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Delaware | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 93.7 | 115.1 |
| 2009 | 104.5 | 111.0 |
| 2010 | 99.4 | 108.7 |
| 2011 | 98.2 | 108.2 |
| 2012 | 98.1 | 108.8 |
| 2013 | 98.9 | 107.4 |
| 2014 | 103.9 | 108.2 |
| 2015 | 95.2 | 109.3 |
| 2016 | 94.4 | 109.4 |
| 2017 | 94.7 | 110.5 |
| 2018 | 99.3 | 110.7 |
| 2019 | 96.0 | 112.0 |
| 2020 | 91.9 | 113.6 |
| 2021 | 97.0 | 112.9 |
| 2022 | 99.1 | 116.3 |
| 2023 | 98.9 | 123.2 |
| 2024 | 102.0 | 122.1 |
Utilities
- Delaware
- Florida
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Delaware | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 111.9 | 98.6 |
| 2009 | 117.7 | 101.2 |
| 2010 | 116.4 | 96.2 |
| 2011 | 117.2 | 95.3 |
| 2012 | 117.3 | 93.5 |
| 2013 | 111.7 | 93.6 |
| 2014 | 105.0 | 95.3 |
| 2015 | 104.0 | 92.4 |
| 2016 | 103.0 | 89.9 |
| 2017 | 102.0 | 87.5 |
| 2018 | 99.5 | 91.1 |
| 2019 | 99.6 | 94.4 |
| 2020 | 98.4 | 89.8 |
| 2021 | 93.5 | 90.0 |
| 2022 | 95.7 | 94.8 |
| 2023 | 104.4 | 93.7 |
| 2024 | 103.8 | 90.1 |
Other services
- Delaware
- Florida
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Delaware | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 100.6 | 99.0 |
| 2009 | 100.6 | 99.0 |
| 2010 | 101.5 | 99.8 |
| 2011 | 99.0 | 101.0 |
| 2012 | 99.3 | 100.9 |
| 2013 | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| 2014 | 101.0 | 100.5 |
| 2015 | 99.0 | 101.8 |
| 2016 | 99.5 | 101.3 |
| 2017 | 100.9 | 100.1 |
| 2018 | 100.8 | 99.2 |
| 2019 | 101.7 | 98.3 |
| 2020 | 100.0 | 98.8 |
| 2021 | 99.9 | 100.4 |
| 2022 | 100.1 | 101.2 |
| 2023 | 99.4 | 101.5 |
| 2024 | 101.2 | 101.3 |
What incomes buy in each state
Income per person after adjusting for prices: $57,131 in Florida, $55,185 in Delaware
Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).
- Delaware
- Florida
- United States
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.
Show the numbers
| Delaware | Florida | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $45,956 | $43,259 | $45,816 |
| 2009 | $45,289 | $41,209 | $44,204 |
| 2010 | $44,778 | $42,735 | $44,808 |
| 2011 | $47,032 | $43,268 | $45,957 |
| 2012 | $46,566 | $43,189 | $46,796 |
| 2013 | $46,578 | $42,278 | $46,358 |
| 2014 | $46,900 | $43,812 | $47,661 |
| 2015 | $49,667 | $45,693 | $49,396 |
| 2016 | $49,892 | $46,126 | $49,828 |
| 2017 | $50,878 | $48,141 | $51,006 |
| 2018 | $52,109 | $49,935 | $52,242 |
| 2019 | $52,671 | $52,128 | $53,683 |
| 2020 | $54,952 | $53,897 | $56,514 |
| 2021 | $56,509 | $56,789 | $59,365 |
| 2022 | $56,371 | $55,163 | $57,104 |
| 2023 | $54,314 | $56,138 | $58,088 |
| 2024 | $55,185 | $57,131 | $59,195 |
More
- Cost of living in Delaware
- Cost of living in Florida
- Reverse: moving from Florida to Delaware
- All states ranked
Related state comparisons
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
- Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.