Cost of living in Dover research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Dover is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Delaware, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Dover is 106, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Dover is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Dover ranks as the #5 cheapest in Delaware out of 18.
Dover ranks as the #3,772 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Dover is $197,600.
The median income in Dover is $51,073.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dover has an overall cost of living index of 106, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Delaware, Dover has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Delaware's index of 103.
The standard of living in Dover ranks as #5 most affordable out of the 18 places we measured in Delaware. By definition, that implies Dover ranks as the #13 most expensive place in the First State.
For more reading on life in Dover, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dover. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Dover is 112.
The Groceries index in Dover is 117.
The Health index in Dover is 94.
The Housing index in Dover is 97.
The Transportation index in Dover is 105.
The Utilities index in Dover is 108.
Living Expense | Dover | Delaware | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 106 | 103 | 100 | |
Services | 112 | 105 | 100 | |
Groceries | 117 | 103 | 100 | |
Health | 94 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing | 97 | 101 | 100 | |
Transportation | 105 | 109 | 100 | |
Utilities | 108 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Delaware, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Dover is $197,600.
The Median Rent in Dover is $1,092.
The Median Income in Dover is $51,073.
The Home Value To Income in Dover is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Dover is 0.26x.
Statistic | Dover | Delaware | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $197,600 | $269,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,092 | $1,199 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $51,073 | $72,724 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.9x | 3.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dover. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Smyrna, DE has a cost of living index of 108, 1.0x Dover.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Dover |
---|---|---|---|
Smyrna, DE | 12,619 | 108 | 1.0x |