Alaska
- After state tax
- —
- Housing / month
- —
- Left after housing
- —
- Cost-adjusted remainder
- —
Alaska vs Delaware
Delaware is cheaper overall, while $100 goes further in Delaware, Alaska has higher incomes, Alaska has lower state income tax, and Delaware gets more sunshine.
Alaska
AK · West
9 / 32
metrics won
VS
Delaware
DE · South
23 / 32
metrics won
Winner
DE wins Housing
DE wins Quality of Life
DE wins Climate
AK wins Income
DE wins Demographics
AK wins Geography
AK 9
23 DE
What matters to you?
Tell us your priority, get a verdict
Your match
Delaware fits you better
Delaware wins 23 of 32 scored metrics against Alaska.
Your match — Saving Money
Delaware is cheaper overall
Cost-of-living index: 103.2 in Delaware vs 125.8 in Alaska. On a national baseline of 100, the lower score usually means cheaper day-to-day expenses. See full data →
Your match — Jobs
Delaware has the higher minimum wage
State minimum wage: $13.25/hr in Delaware vs $13.00/hr in Alaska. Matters most for hourly and entry-level work. See full data →
Your match — Housing
Alaska is more attainable for buyers
Home-value-to-income ratio: 3.66x in Alaska vs 3.74x in Delaware. Lower means the median home is easier to afford on a median income. See full data →
Your match — Weather
Delaware is warmer overall
Average annual temperature: 55.3°F in Delaware vs 26.6°F in Alaska. See full data →
Your match — Family & Health
Delaware looks better for families
Delaware wins more family-oriented signals in this matchup, including violent crime rate, life expectancy, uninsured rate, compared with Alaska. See full data →
Run the numbers
What's your salary really worth?
Delaware
- After state tax
- —
- Housing / month
- —
- Left after housing
- —
- Cost-adjusted remainder
- —
Illustrative estimate only. Uses top marginal state income tax rate, BEA Regional Price Parity, and median housing costs — excludes federal tax, utilities, insurance, childcare, and debt.
Full comparison
Every metric, side by side
Pick a category. Each row opens the full breakdown for that metric — national rank, chart, and sourcing.
Capital City
Juneau
vs
Dover
State Color
Solid Red
vs
Solid Blue
Population
738,003
1,069,781
Median Income
$86,533
$79,325
Cost of Living
125.8
103.2
Median Housing Value
$316,400
$296,700
Property Tax
1.11%
0.50%
State Income Tax
None (0%)
6.60%
Minimum Wage
$13.00/hr
$13.25/hr
Gas Price
$4.619/gal
$3.914/gal
Electricity Rates
25.52 c/kWh
16.51 c/kWh
Livability Score
44.17
50.03
Average Temperature
26.6°F
55.3°F
Sunny Days
61 days
97 days
Land Area
663,268 sq mi
2,489 sq mi
Population Density
1.1 per sq mi
429.8 per sq mi
Statehood
January 3, 1959 (#49)
December 7, 1787 (#1)
Population
738,003
1,069,781
Population Density
1.1 per sq mi
429.8 per sq mi
Bachelor's Degree
32.2%
36.5%
Advanced Degree
12.2%
15.5%
Net Domestic Migration
-4,500
+6,900
Population Growth Since 2020
+0.6%
+8.1%
Livability Score
44.17
50.03
Best State to Live In
44.17
50.03
Cost of Living
125.8
103.2
Gas Price
$4.619/gal
$3.914/gal
Gas Tax
8.95 c/gal
23.00 c/gal
Electricity Rates
25.52 c/kWh
16.51 c/kWh
Commute Time
18.8 min
25.7 min
Car Insurance Cost
$1,679/yr
$2,396/yr
Average Credit Score
720
713
Average Temperature
26.6°F
55.3°F
Summer Temperature
52.3°F
74.2°F
Winter Temperature
2.6°F
36.1°F
Sunny Days
61 days
97 days
Annual Precipitation
22.5 in
45.7 in
Average Wind Speed
9.0 mph
7.1 mph
Lightning Density
0.3 per sq mi
79.8 per sq mi
Median Housing Value
$316,400
$296,700
Median Gross Rent
$1,352/mo
$1,222/mo
Median Monthly Owner Costs With Mortgage
$2,253/mo
$1,821/mo
Owner Costs Without Mortgage
$698/mo
$596/mo
Homeownership Rate
64.9%
74.0%
Home Value to Income Ratio
3.66x
3.74x
Rent to Income Ratio
18.7%
18.5%
Owner Costs to Income
16.8%
16.6%
Home Insurance Cost
$1,323/yr
$976/yr
State Income Tax
None (0%)
6.60%
State Sales Tax
None (0%)
None (0%)
Property Tax
1.11%
0.50%
Total Tax Burden
4.92%
6.28%
Grocery Tax Rate
0% (No state tax)
0% (No state tax)
Estate and Inheritance Tax
No State Death Tax
vs
No State Death Tax
Annual Vehicle Property Tax
No
vs
No
State Color
Solid Red
vs
Solid Blue
Presidential Voting Margin
Rep +13.13
Dem +14.70
Swing State / Battleground
Not a battleground
vs
Not a battleground
Governor Party
Republican
vs
Democratic
State House Control
Republican
vs
Democratic
State Senate Control
Republican
vs
Democratic
Trifecta
Republican Trifecta
vs
Democratic Trifecta
Electoral Votes
3
3
Gun Laws Status
Permissive
vs
Restrictive
Alcohol Laws
License State
vs
License State
Marijuana Legalization
Legal
vs
Legal
Minimum Marriage Age
16
18 (banned)
Gun Ownership
63.5%
25.3%
Abortion Law Status
Legal - No Limit (No limit)
vs
Legal - Viability (~24 weeks (viability))
Right-to-Work Law
No
vs
No
Land Area
663,268 sq mi
2,489 sq mi
Highest Point
Denali (Mount McKinley) (20,310 ft)
Ebright Azimuth (448 ft)
Statehood
January 3, 1959 (#49)
December 7, 1787 (#1)
Capital City
Juneau
vs
Dover
Region
West
vs
South
Life Expectancy
75.4 yrs
76.9 yrs
Older Adult Health Outcomes
45.5
54.2
Uninsured Rate
10.4%
6.5%
Obesity Rate
34.0%
36.6%
Healthcare Quality Score
27.8
50.4
Infant Mortality Rate
6.82 per 1,000
7.77 per 1,000
Drug Overdose Death Rate
45.1 per 100,000
33.4 per 100,000
Violent Crime Rate
837.8 per 100k
404.0 per 100k
Property Crime Rate
1849.4 per 100k
1991.2 per 100k
AZA-Accredited Zoos
1
1
Casinos
2
3 (Bally's Dover)
UFO Sightings per 100,000
113.8 per 100K
50.3 per 100K
Most Popular Car
Chevrolet
vs
Tesla
K-12 Education Rank
#48
#21
High School Graduation Rate
80.0%
88.0%
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.2:1
14.2:1
School Spending
$20,340
$22,201
Teacher Salary
$81,450
$76,570
Public School Ranking
#49
#21
Student Loan Debt
$35,874
$38,856
College Graduation Rate
40.4%
43.8%
Median Income
$86,533
$79,325
Regional Price Parity
102.7
100.9
Purchasing Power of $100
$97.79
$103.24
Poverty Rate
10.4%
10.5%
Employment/Population Ratio
59.8%
59.6%
Unemployment Rate
4.8%
5.2%
Job Growth
-0.4%
1.1%
Infant Childcare Cost
$20,943/yr
$16,220/yr
Income Needed to Live Alone
$100,298/yr
$97,469/yr
Water Quality Score
97.7/100 (A)
81.3/100 (A)
Annual Power Outage Hours
5.5 hours/yr
1.9 hours/yr
Road Quality Rank
#32
#16
Renewable Electricity Share
2.7%
4.3%
Largest Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC)
vs
Wilmington Airport (ILG)
Tradeoffs
Pros and cons for each state
The biggest advantages and drawbacks pulled from affordability, housing, income, taxes, safety, health, education, jobs, and weather.
Alaska
Pros
- Alaska has a lower housing cost index.
- Alaska shows higher median income.
Cons
- Alaska has a higher overall cost of living.
- Alaska has higher median home values.
- Alaska has higher property tax rates on average.
- Alaska has a higher violent crime rate.
- Alaska job growth trend is weaker.
- Alaska health access/outcomes proxy is lower.
Delaware
Pros
- Delaware has a lower overall cost of living.
- Delaware has lower median home values.
- Delaware has lower property tax rates on average.
- Delaware has a lower violent crime rate.
- Delaware job growth trend is stronger.
- Delaware health access/outcomes proxy is higher.
Cons
- Delaware has a higher housing cost index.
- Delaware shows lower median income.
People also ask
Alaska vs Delaware — common questions
QIs Alaska cheaper to live in than Delaware?
Delaware has the lower cost of living. On the national index (100 = average), Delaware scores 103.2 versus 125.8 for Alaska - a gap of 22.6 points.
QWhere does $100 go further - Alaska or Delaware?
$100 goes further in Delaware. After BEA regional price adjustments, $100 is worth about $103.24 in Delaware, compared with $97.79 in Alaska.
QWhich state is bigger - Alaska or Delaware?
Alaska is larger, covering 663,268 sq mi compared with 2,489 sq mi for Delaware - roughly 266.5x the size.
QDoes Alaska or Delaware have more people?
Delaware has the larger population at 1,069,781, compared with 738,003 in Alaska.
QWhich state has higher household income - Alaska or Delaware?
Alaska has the higher median household income at $86,533, versus $79,325 in Delaware.
QWhich state has lower income taxes - Alaska or Delaware?
Alaska has no state income tax, while Delaware charges up to 6.60%.
QIs housing cheaper in Alaska or Delaware?
Homes are cheaper in Delaware, where the median home value is $296,700, versus $316,400 in Alaska.
QWhich state is more densely populated - Alaska or Delaware?
Delaware is more densely populated at 429.8 per sq mi people per sq mi. Alaska is more spread out at 1.1 per sq mi people per sq mi.
Related comparisons
Methodology
Figures combine government datasets, named research sources, and clearly labeled derived scores. Dataset reviewed July 23, 2026.
Demographics & geography
2020 Census, American Community Survey, TIGER/Line Files, National Archives
Income, housing & cost of living
American Community Survey, BLS, BEA Regional Price Parities, and named market studies
Wages & energy
U.S. Department of Labor, AAA, U.S. EIA
Politics & law
NCSL, Giffords Law Center, NABCA
Data periods differ by metric. Open any individual comparison metric to see its primary source, data period, review date, and calculation note. Daily-changing fields such as gas prices are stored snapshots unless the page explicitly says a live feed is used.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — 2020 Census
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau — TIGER/Line Files
- National Archives
- BEA — Regional Price Parities
- BLS — State Labor Market Data
- NOAA — U.S. Climate Normals
- FBI — Crime Data Explorer
- FEMA — National Risk Index
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws
- AAA — Gas Prices
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Electricity
- NCSL — State Partisan Composition
- Giffords Law Center — Annual Gun Law Scorecard
- NABCA
- NCSL — State Medical Cannabis Laws
See our editorial policy for how we review and update these pages.