New Castle County · Delaware
Cost of living in Wilmington, DE
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Wilmington, DE costs 2.6% above the national average — an all-items price level of 102.6. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $102,554 here.
- All items
- 102.6US average = 100
- Housing
- 113.113.1% above the national average
- Goods
- 96.83.2% below the national average
- Other services
- 103.13.1% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.8 | -3.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 113.1 | +13.1% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 114.4 | +14.4% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 103.1 | +3.1% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Wilmington, DE
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (102.6 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $50,438
- Needed to match US average
- $53,047
- Monthly difference
- $110
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Wilmington earns $51,726. Deflated by the local price level, that is $50,438 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 102.6.
More on Wilmington
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.