Real Dollar Value
South Carolina stretches $100 further
A national-average $100 buys about $109.57 of local goods and services in South Carolina, compared with $103.24 in Delaware.
Purchasing Power of $100 Comparison
Income
Delaware vs South Carolina: Purchasing Power of $100
$100 goes further in South Carolina: about $109.57 in local buying power versus $103.24 in Delaware, a $6.33 gap.
Delaware
DE • South
$103.24
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
$109.57
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Visual Comparison
Delaware
$103.24
South Carolina
$109.57
Difference: $6 — South Carolina leads.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for purchasing power of $100.
Delaware
#36 · $103.24
South Carolina
#19 · $109.57
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — Purchasing Power of $100
#1
Mississippi
$116.01
Mississippi
#2
Alabama
$114.62
Alabama
#3
Oklahoma
$113.65
Oklahoma
#4
Arkansas
$113.40
Arkansas
#5
Kansas
$113.09
Kansas
#6
West Virginia
$112.73
West Virginia
#7
Missouri
$112.21
Missouri
#8
Iowa
$111.93
Iowa
#9
Tennessee
$111.32
Tennessee
#10
South Dakota
$111.28
South Dakota
Selected states
#36
Delaware
$103.24
Delaware
#19
South Carolina
$109.57
South Carolina
Delaware ranks 36th and South Carolina ranks 19th nationally for purchasing power of $100.
Safety Context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
Safety
BEA Price Index
South Carolina has the lower official price level
BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in South Carolina (94.7) than in Delaware (100.9), which is why the same cash buys more there.
View detailed comparisonIncome Check
Delaware has the higher median income
Purchasing power does not replace income. Delaware has a median household income of $79,325, versus $63,623 in South Carolina.
View detailed comparisonLiving Costs
South Carolina also looks cheaper on the cost index
South Carolina's cost-of-living index is 96.3, compared with 103.2 in the other state.
View detailed comparisonRelated Pages
What This Means
Delaware vs South Carolina: Purchasing Power of $100 in context
South Carolina has a purchasing power of $100 of $109.57, compared with $103.24 in Delaware. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Delaware
$103.24
South Carolina
$109.57
Difference
$6
People Also Ask
Delaware vs South Carolina Purchasing Power of $100 — Common Questions
Q What is Delaware's purchasing power of $100?
Delaware's purchasing power of $100 is $103.24.
Q What is South Carolina's purchasing power of $100?
South Carolina's purchasing power of $100 is $109.57.
Q Which state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — Delaware or South Carolina?
$100 goes further in South Carolina: about $109.57 in local buying power versus $103.24 in Delaware, a $6.33 gap.
More Comparisons: Delaware vs South 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; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes 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.