Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Delaware
You think about moving to Delaware but want to get additional information on overall quality of life, safety, job market, average income, housing, climate and much more before making your final decision in this regard?
Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Delaware in the following chapters.
Living in Delaware – Overview
Climate | People in Delaware experience warm summers and pretty cold winters. |
Housing | Housing shortage is not a big problem in most regions of Delaware and property prices and rents are still reasonably low. |
Income | Median household income in Delaware is slightly above national average. |
Crime | Crime rate in Delaware is slightly above US average. |
Education | While you may find decent schools and colleges in the urban parts of Delaware, you may have a hard time finding good education in the rural areas of Delaware. |
Job Market | Unemployment rate in Delaware is relatively high compared to the rest of the US. |
Culture | While you will find many different cultural influences in the biggest cities of Delaware, you may miss cultural diversity in the rural parts of this state. |
Leisure Activities | People in Delaware can go fishing, camping, hiking and do many other things in nature. |
Landscape | There are many forests, rivers and lakes in Delaware where you can recharge your batteries and can unplug from your stressful life. |
Infrastructure | Public transport and medical infrastructure are not great in most regions of Delaware, especially in the rural areas where you will find barely any public transport at all and may also have to drive long distances for finding a decent doctor or hospital. |
Level of Tolerance | While people in Delaware are usually pretty tolerant in the biggest cities, people in rural regions are often still rather conservative and you may therefore have to adapt to local customs and traditions quite a lot to become a valid member of society. |
Nightlife | You will not find many great bars and clubs in most parts of Delaware and if you are still young and want to party until the early morning, you may be better off moving to California or other states where you find many big cities with great nightlife. |
Total Population | 982,171 inhabitants. |

Advantages of Living in Delaware
- Property prices in Delaware are still rather low
- The average person can still afford to buy a home in Delaware
- Many people don’t have to overextend themselves for buying a home
- Relatively easy to get a mortgage in Delaware
- You may be able to buy undervalued homes in Delaware
- Rents are still affordable in Delaware
- Many people in Delaware find a decent place to rent rather quickly
- Housing shortage is not a big problem in Delaware yet
- Living costs in most parts of Delaware are rather low
- Overall financial pressure for people living in Delaware is rather low
- People in Delaware find many recreational spaces
- You can live in line with natural forces
- People in Delaware can spend lots of time outdoors
- You can get lots of fresh air in Delaware
- People in Delaware can exercise in a natural manner
- Delaware is located at the coast
- Delaware is a rather relaxed state
- Most people in Delaware are friendly
- Delaware is a pretty tolerant place
- Many people in Delaware are genuine and real
- Easy to make really good friends in Delaware
- Delaware is not the most crowded state
- Delaware is not as hectic as many other states
- Traffic is not a big deal in Delaware
- Pretty easy finding a parking lot in Delaware
- People in Delaware can enjoy nice summers
- Cold winters allow you to do winter sports
- Moving to Delaware is great if you don’t like big city life
- Living in Delaware may be great to raise your kids
- You can make solid money in Delaware
- Many people in Delaware can still live the American dream
- Delaware may be a solid place for living a self-sufficient lifestyle
- You can really rely on your friends in Delaware
- Delaware may still be underrated
- Delaware is a rather pet-friendly state
- Many regions in Delaware have decent air quality
- Delaware may be a great place to retire
- You will find cultural diversity in the biggest cities of Delaware
- Delaware may be an interesting place for tenants
- Delaware will not run out of drinking water for quite a while
Property prices in Delaware are still rather low
One advantage of moving to Delaware is that property prices are still pretty low in many regions and while people living in NYC or other much more expensive places have to spend lots of money on their dream homes, people in Delaware can usually buy decent homes at a much lower price.
The average person can still afford to buy a home in Delaware
Thanks to rather low property prices, many people are still able to buy decent homes in the Delaware region since property prices are also rather low compared to the average income.
Many people don’t have to overextend themselves for buying a home
Due to rather low property prices, many people also don’t have to spend the majority of their wealth on their homes but many people will also have enough money left to spend on other asset classes and also on other nice things of daily life so they don’t just live for paying off their mortgages as people in San Francisco or other pretty expensive places often do.
Relatively easy to get a mortgage in Delaware
Thanks to rather low property prices, people in Delaware also don’t have to save up as much equity as in other more popular regions and will also have a rather easy time getting a mortgage which makes it pretty easy to buy a home in this region.
You may be able to buy undervalued homes in Delaware
Since Delaware is not the most popular state, overall demand for housing is also rather low in this region and you may therefore be able to find undervalued property in this region and may be able to buy a home below market value from which you can benefit since your mortgage rates will be pretty low and you may also be able to sell your home in the long run for much more than you have initially paid for.
Rents are still affordable in Delaware
Also in case you don’t want to buy a home, moving to Delaware may still make quite a lot of sense since also rents are pretty low and people therefore don’t have to spend a significant fraction of their income on rent yet and will have lots of money left to spend on other important and nice things.
Many people in Delaware find a decent place to rent rather quickly
Another upside to moving to Delaware is that you will also have more than enough housing options and since overall demand for housing in most parts of Delaware is rather low, you may also find a decent place to rent rather quickly and don’t have to search as long as people living in Los Angeles or other more popular regions.
Housing shortage is not a big problem in Delaware yet
In general, housing shortage is not a big problem in most regions in Delaware and you will therefore not have to deal with as fierce competition as people moving to Seattle or other much more popular regions.
Living costs in most parts of Delaware are rather low
Not only housing is pretty affordable in most parts of Delaware, but also living costs are pretty low and while people living in Washington D.C. and other more popular regions often have to spend lots of money on drinks and various other things of life, you in Delaware may be able to afford much more with the same budget.
Overall financial pressure for people living in Delaware is rather low
Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for people living in Delaware may be rather low while people in other more expensive regions may suffer from serious mental problems related to their finances sooner or later since they may always have to worry about running out of money and may also greatly overextend themselves financially for buying a home and many other things.
People in Delaware find many recreational spaces
Another benefit of moving to Delaware is that you will also find many parks and other green spaces where you can relax and unplug from your stressful life so you can recharge your batteries for the challenging times that may be ahead of you.
You can live in line with natural forces
Since there are many lakes, rivers and forests, people in Delaware can also live in a pretty traditional manner and can also enjoy basic things our ancestors have enjoyed for hundreds or even thousands of years and you can therefore really go back to the roots.
People in Delaware can spend lots of time outdoors
Since you can go fishing, hunting, hiking, camping and do many other interesting things in Delaware, you will also have the incentive of spending lots of time outdoors while people in regions with less exciting nature may just sit indoors in front of their computers all day long and may be in a worse mood than yourself.
You can get lots of fresh air in Delaware
By spending lots of time in nature, you can also get lots of fresh air and this may not only be great for your brain but also for your body since getting enough oxygen is crucial for our bodies to work properly in the long run.
People in Delaware can exercise in a natural manner
Thanks to many nature activities you can do in Delaware, you will also get lots of natural exercise and this may keep you fit and you may also be at lower risk of suffering from serious overweight or obesity in the long run since you can burn lots of calories in a natural manner.
Delaware is located at the coast
Another upside to living in Delaware is that the state also has a coastline and if you live close to one of those coastal regions, you can go surfing, swimming and do many other nice water sports on a regular basis which can make your life just much better in the long run.
Delaware is a rather relaxed state
You should also know that Delaware is a rather relaxed state where people are not as career-focused and selfish as in many other states and people may also take more time to help you out on various occasions of daily life.
Most people in Delaware are friendly
Most people in Delaware are also pretty friendly and outgoing and you will therefore be able to make many new social connections rather quickly and may not have to worry about getting socially isolated as long as you are friendly yourself and also know how to treat people well.
Delaware is a pretty tolerant place
Since Delaware is also a pretty tolerant state, you will be welcome no matter where you come from and don’t have to worry about your background at all. As long as you are willing to adapt to local traditions a little bit, you will likely become a valued member of society rather quickly.
Many people in Delaware are genuine and real
You should also be aware of the fact that many people in Delaware are also more genuine and real compared to most other states and while this may be uncomfortable for you at first, you will soon appreciate it since you will know that you can trust most people in this region and their honesty may also really benefit you in the long run.
Easy to make really good friends in Delaware
Since people in Delaware are pretty genuine, you can also really count on those people in most cases and you will therefore also have a rather easy time making really good friends in this region.
Delaware is not the most crowded state
Another benefit of living in Delaware is that it is also not the most crowded state and this means that you will have more than enough public space for yourself where you can hang out on your own during times you just don’t want to have company and need time to think about complex problems and how to solve them.
Delaware is not as hectic as many other states
You should also know that most people in Delaware are also not in the same rush as people in Chicago or other more vibrant and hectic places and you may therefore be able to spend your life in a much quieter and relaxed atmosphere in the Delaware region.
Traffic is not a big deal in Delaware
You should also know that traffic jams are not a big problem in Delaware yet and while people living in San Diego or other big cities often lose lots of time in traffic, you may be able to get around by car in a much more efficient manner in the Delaware region.
Pretty easy finding a parking lot in Delaware
Since traffic is not a big deal in most parts of Delaware, you will also find more than enough parking lots in this region and will have almost freedom of choice regarding where you want to park and can save lots of time and money in the long run compared to people living in much more crowded regions where parking is a real problem.
People in Delaware can enjoy nice summers
You should also be aware of the fact that you can enjoy warm and sunny summers in the Delaware region and can just have a great time swimming, hiking or with many other things you may like even more.
Cold winters allow you to do winter sports
Not only can you enjoy nice summers, but you will also have pretty cold winters in the Delaware region and this gives you the opportunity to do all kinds of winter sports and you can therefore live a pretty interesting life compared to people living in Austin or other regions where it is just warm all year long.
Moving to Delaware is great if you don’t like big city life
While it might not be a great idea to move to Delaware if you want to live in a big metropolitan region, it can still be great in case you don’t like big city life and just want to spend your life in a quieter atmosphere where you don’t have to deal with loud traffic noise and other unpleasant things often.
Living in Delaware may be great to raise your kids
Moving to Delaware may also make sense in case you want to raise your kids in a rather peaceful environment and don’t want them to grow up in big urban regions where they may be confronted with all sorts of unpleasant things at a rather young age.
You can make solid money in Delaware
Another advantage of living in Delaware is that average income levels are solid and if you have valuable skills needed in the job market right now, you may be able to make really good money from what you are doing while your living costs will still be rather low.
Many people in Delaware can still live the American dream
Since living and housing costs are still rather low in Delaware, many people may still be able to live the American dream in this region, including owning a nice home, a fancy car and so on while this might be much harder for people living in Oakland or other regions where people often have to spend lots of money on housing and various things of daily life and therefore need a much higher budget than people in Delaware.
Delaware may be a solid place for living a self-sufficient lifestyle
Since Delaware is surrounded by nature and housing costs are also rather low in many regions, it may also be a great state to live a self-sufficient life since you can keep your living costs low while you may still be able to grow many things you need yourself and may no longer have to rely on groceries and many other things from the store.
You can really rely on your friends in Delaware
Since you will meet many great and honest people in Delaware, you may also be able to really rely on those people and can be sure that during difficult periods of your life, those people will be there for you and can help you overcome those difficult times.
Delaware may still be underrated
Since you can enjoy lots of beautiful nature in the Delaware region while living and housing costs are still pretty low, Delaware may also be considered an underrated state and by moving to Delaware, you may be able to enjoy many nice things at a rather affordable price while people in other regions may have to spend much more for having similar lifestyles.
Delaware is a rather pet-friendly state
You should also know that Delaware is a rather pet-friendly state and when you walk down the streets with your dog, you can be pretty sure to find other like-minded people to chat with and may therefore be able to find many new social connections and friends in a rather natural manner.
Many regions in Delaware have decent air quality
Since population density in Delaware is rather low, there are not as many emissions as in many other regions in the US and this often leads to pretty decent air quality in many regions of Delaware from which you may be able to benefit in the long run since the better air quality, the more likely it may be that you may stay fit in the long run.
Delaware may be a great place to retire
Since there are many things to do in nature while living and housing costs are still fairly low, Delaware may also be a great place to retire since pensioners will be able to enjoy beautiful nature and will have many things to do at a rather low cost.
You will find cultural diversity in the biggest cities of Delaware
You will also find many interesting cultural influences in the biggest cities of Delaware and may also be able to try many delicious foods which may not only be a great experience but may also help you get some inspiration when it comes to cooking at home.
Delaware may be an interesting place for tenants
Due to rather tenant-friendly laws, moving to Delaware may also make sense in case you don’t want to buy a home since you may have more rights than people moving to Alabama or other rather landlord-friendly places.
Delaware will not run out of drinking water for quite a while
While people living in Las Vegas or other dry regions may run out of drinking water sooner or later, people in Delaware don’t have to worry in this regard much for many years to come and Delaware may therefore also become more popular in the future while regions that get hit by climate change may lose in popularity in the long run.
Now that you know the reasons for moving to Delaware, we also have to talk about the downsides to living in Delaware so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to move to Delaware or rather want to spend your life in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Delaware
- Hard to find really good education in Delaware
- Sending your kids to school may be a challenge in rural areas
- You may have a hard time staying connected to your friends due to long distances
- Your kids may have a hard time finding friends in the rural parts of Delaware
- Public transport in Delaware is rather poor
- Medical infrastructure in Delaware is not great outside the biggest cities
- You may have to spend lots of time managing things of daily life
- Above-average crime rate in Delaware
- Unemployment rate in Delaware is rather high
- Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding a job in Delaware
- Not as much entertainment in Delaware as in many other states
- You may not find many great sports teams in Delaware
- Nightlife is not great in most parts of Delaware
- Not many fancy boutiques in Delaware
- Moving to Delaware is not great if you love big city life
- You will not have as much action as people in other states
- Many young people may leave Delaware sooner or later
- Delaware may not be a great state for students
- Hard to build a strong business network in Delaware
- Many regions in Delaware are not well-connected to the world
- Many people in rural parts of Delaware don’t have a great internet connection
- Some places in Delaware are still pretty conservative and traditional
- Delaware may not be the greatest place for real estate investors
- People who don’t like nature may not become happy in Delaware
- Cold winters may get annoying in Delaware
- Natural disasters may damage or even destroy your home in Delaware
- You will not meet many tourists in Delaware
- Delaware is not the most popular state
- You will not be able to meet many celebrities in Delaware
- You may get bored with your life in Delaware in the long run
- You may want to move to other states with bigger cities sooner or later
Hard to find really good education in Delaware
One problem with moving to Delaware is that you may have a really hard time finding good education, especially in the rural parts of Delaware where you will barely find decent schools and colleges and you may therefore have a much harder time getting good education for you and your kids compared to people living in Boston or other regions with much better educational infrastructure.
Sending your kids to school may be a challenge in rural areas
If you want to live outside of the big cities of Delaware, you may also have a hard time sending your kids to school since you would often have to drive for many miles and homeschooling may therefore be the only option to get really good education for your kids.
You may have a hard time staying connected to your friends due to long distances
Since distances are pretty long and public infrastructure is not great in many parts of Delaware, you may also have a rather hard time meeting up with your loved ones and may therefore also lose many of your friends sooner or later since you may just not be able to meet them as often as needed to stay connected with them on an emotional level.
Your kids may have a hard time finding friends in the rural parts of Delaware
Another downside to moving to Delaware is that your kids may also have a hard time finding many new friends, especially if you live in rather rural parts of Delaware where you might not have many neighbors and your kids may therefore have a hard time socializing and may also not learn how to interact with other people well.
Public transport in Delaware is rather poor
You should also be aware of the fact that public transport is pretty poor in many regions of Delaware and you may therefore have no choice but to rely on your car to get around in a proper manner and people who don’t have a driver’s license or are not able to drive due to various other reasons may just not be really mobile in this region.
Medical infrastructure in Delaware is not great outside the biggest cities
While you will find decent doctors in Delaware, medical infrastructure is still not great outside the big cities and you may therefore have to drive long hours to find an expert who is able to treat your health condition in a proper manner and in case you need urgent medical support, you may not get help in time and may even lose your life in case you are unlucky and live too far away from a hospital.
You may have to spend lots of time managing things of daily life
In general, living in Delaware can be pretty exhausting since due to rather poor public infrastructure, you will have to spend lots of time organizing things that would not be a big deal in big metropolitan regions and may have less time to spend on the nice things of life.
Above-average crime rate in Delaware
Another disadvantage of moving to Delaware is that crime rate is above national average and if you want to see your kids grow up in a safer atmosphere, you may be better off moving to Virginia Beach or other safer places.
Unemployment rate in Delaware is rather high
You should also know that unemployment is a big problem in many parts of Delaware and you may therefore often have to worry about losing your job and in case this happens, you may also have a hard time finding a decent job again.
Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding a job in Delaware
Especially low-qualified people often have a hard time finding decent jobs in the Delaware region and if you don’t have solid education, you may just not be able to find and keep a decent job in the long run.
Not as much entertainment in Delaware as in many other states
Another drawback of living in Delaware is that it is also not the most exciting place and you will not find as many festivals or other entertainment as you might be used to from bigger urban regions.
You may not find many great sports teams in Delaware
Moving to Delaware may also not be great for you in case you are a sports fan since there are just not many fancy sports teams in this region and in case you live outside the biggest cities, your selection of sports games on the highest level you can watch live will be pretty limited.
Nightlife is not great in most parts of Delaware
You should also know that you will not find many great bars and clubs in most parts of Delaware and if you are a party person who loves to party until the early morning on a regular basis, you may be better off moving to Denver or other bigger cities where you will find more options in this regard.
Not many fancy boutiques in Delaware
You will also not find as many fancy shopping opportunities in Delaware as you might be used to from other states and in case you are a shopping queen, you may get fed up with your life in Delaware pretty quickly.
Moving to Delaware is not great if you love big city life
Another disadvantage of living in Delaware is that you will also not find many big cities in this state and in case you love big city life and everything that comes along with it, you may be better off moving to Colorado or other regions where you find more big metropolitan regions.
You will not have as much action as people in other states
Also in case you are the type of person who needs adrenaline on a regular basis, Delaware may not be the best state to move to for you since you will just live a rather quiet life and your opportunities for getting action may be rather limited.
Many young people may leave Delaware sooner or later
Since entertainment and education options are rather limited, many young people also think about leaving Delaware sooner or later and you may therefore just end up with many old people and may have a hard time finding many people of your age to hang out with in case you are still young right now.
Delaware may not be a great state for students
Also in case you are a student, Delaware may just not be a great place to study since there are not many great universities in this region and also student life is not really attractive and you may therefore be better off studying in NYC or in other bigger and much more vibrant cities.
Hard to build a strong business network in Delaware
Since unemployment rate is pretty high and many young people may leave the Delaware region, you may also have a hard time building a strong business network in this region and may therefore also have a harder time climbing the corporate ladder compared to people living in more urban regions.
Many regions in Delaware are not well-connected to the world
Another problem with living in Delaware is that there are not many big airports in this region and you may therefore have a pretty hard time traveling the world and your loved ones may also have a hard time visiting you.
Many people in rural parts of Delaware don’t have a great internet connection
If you live in a rather rural part of Delaware, also your internet connection may be pretty poor and you may therefore have a hard time staying up-to-date with latest developments and may also not be able to keep up with what’s going on in the world in a proper manner.
Some places in Delaware are still pretty conservative and traditional
While people are usually pretty tolerant in the urban parts of Delaware, many people are still pretty conservative and traditional in the rural regions of Delaware and may not respect you if you want to live a completely different lifestyle compared to the general public.
Delaware may not be the greatest place for real estate investors
Since Delaware has rather tenant-friendly laws, it may also not be the greatest place for real estate investors since you may have many conversations with rather annoying tenants who may just seem to live for making your life as a landlord as hard as possible.
People who don’t like nature may not become happy in Delaware
Before moving to Delaware, you should also make sure that you really like nature since you might just not get happy otherwise since many activities are just done in nature in this region and you may also have a hard time getting in touch with people if you don’t like this kind of lifestyle at all.
Cold winters may get annoying in Delaware
While some people like cold winters since they want to go skiing or do other winter sports, others just don’t like cool weather at all and if you belong to the second group of people, you may be better off moving to El Paso or other regions where it is usually pretty warm all year long.
Natural disasters may damage or even destroy your home in Delaware
If you are unlucky, floods, storms or other natural disasters may also damage or even destroy your property and in case you are not careful, you may even lose your life due to one of those natural disasters sooner or later.
You will not meet many tourists in Delaware
Since Delaware is just not the most popular place among tourists, you may also have a rather hard time getting in touch with people from all over the world and may have fewer interesting conversations compared to people living in Orlando or other places that are usually more attractive to tourists.
Delaware is not the most popular state
In general, Delaware is also not the most popular state and many of your friends may also not understand your decision of moving to Delaware and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.
You will not be able to meet many celebrities in Delaware
Since there are not many fancy urban regions in Delaware, you will also not find many celebrities in this region and you may therefore have a much harder time meeting up with your idols compared to people living in San José or other bigger and fancier places.
You may get bored with your life in Delaware in the long run
Since there are not as many exciting things to do in Delaware as in many other states in the US, you may also just get bored with your life in Delaware sooner or later and may envy people living in more vibrant regions.
You may want to move to other states with bigger cities sooner or later
Since there are just not many really exciting things to do in Delaware, you may also just want to move to bigger and more interesting urban areas sooner or later and before moving to Delaware, you should at least spend your vacation in this region so you get a better picture of what living in Delaware really looks like and whether you can imagine to live this kind of lifestyle or not in the long run so you don’t have to leave this region soon after moving there and can avoid all the trouble that might come along with it.

Top 10 Moving To Delaware Pros & Cons – Summary List
Living in Delaware Pros | Living in Delaware Cons |
---|---|
Living costs in Delaware are rather low | Delaware is not the most exciting state |
Housing shortage is not a big problem in most parts of Delaware | Rather high unemployment rate in Delaware |
Rents are still affordable in Delaware | Crime rate in Delaware is slightly above US average |
Many people are still able to afford decent homes | Hard to find really good education in Delaware |
People in Delaware can spend lots of time in nature | Public infrastructure is rather poor in many parts of Delaware |
Delaware is a rather relaxed state | Rather poor medical infrastructure in the rural parts of Delaware |
Most people in Delaware are friendly and tolerant | You may urgently need a car to get around in Delaware |
Overall financial pressure for people living in Delaware is rather low | You may get bored with your life in Delaware sooner or later |
You don’t get stuck in traffic jams often | Not many world-class sports teams in Delaware |
People in Delaware can enjoy real seasons | Moving to Delaware is not great if you love big city life |
Is Delaware A Good Place To Live?
While moving to Delaware can make sense since living and housing costs are rather low and you can also spend lots of time in nature, you should still know that public transport and medical infrastructure are rather poor in many parts of Delaware and Delaware is also not the most exciting state so you may get bored in this region in the long run.
In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Delaware properly so you can make the best possible decision in this regard according to your individual preferences and circumstances.
Most Popular Cities To Live In Delaware – Comparison
Living Costs | Property Prices | Income Level | Infrastructure | |
Wilmington | moderate | moderate | moderate | decent |
Dover | moderate | low | moderate | decent |
Newark | low | low | moderate | poor |
Middletown | low | low | low | poor |
Bear | low | low | low | poor |
Alternative States To Live
If you no longer want to move to Delaware, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Arkansas
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Arizona
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Connecticut
Sources
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/DE

About the author
This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.
My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.
Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.
In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.