Overall
North Carolina feels cheaper overall
North Carolina has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Delaware by 6.8 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Delaware vs North Carolina: Cost of Living
North Carolina is cheaper overall by 6.8 cost-of-living points, but North Carolina has lower median home values.
Delaware
DE • South
103.2
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
North Carolina
NC • South
96.4
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Delaware
103.2
North Carolina
96.4
Difference: 6.8 points — North Carolina leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.1x more for a home
North Carolina has the lower median home value, while buying in Delaware costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Delaware puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Delaware than in North Carolina, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
North Carolina keeps more income after state tax
North Carolina has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Delaware
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
103.2
Regional price parity
100.9
Regular gas price
$3.914/gal
Electricity price
16.51 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,222/mo
Median home value
$296,700
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
6.60%
State sales tax
None (0%)
Property tax
0.50%
Income
Median household income
$79,325
Income after median rent
$5,388
Minimum wage
$15.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
North Carolina
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
96.4
Regional price parity
95.2
Regular gas price
$3.931/gal
Electricity price
13.68 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,142/mo
Median home value
$273,600
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.50%
State sales tax
4.75%
Property tax
0.66%
Income
Median household income
$63,947
Income after median rent
$4,187
Minimum wage
$7.25/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Medical
What Stands Out
- North Carolina has lower median home values.
- North Carolina has the lower overall cost index.
- Delaware has the higher median household income.
- Delaware looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Delaware vs North Carolina: Cost of Living in context
North Carolina has a cost of living of 96.4, compared with 103.2 in Delaware. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Delaware
103.2
North Carolina
96.4
Difference
6.8 points
People Also Ask
Delaware vs North Carolina Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Delaware's cost of living?
Delaware's cost of living is 103.2.
Q What is North Carolina's cost of living?
North Carolina's cost of living is 96.4.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Delaware or North Carolina?
North Carolina is cheaper overall by 6.8 cost-of-living points, but North Carolina has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Delaware vs North Carolina
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.