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Delaware

State-to-state migration of people and income, 20222023 filing years

At a glance (2023)

Cost of living
99
1% below the U.S. average
Median home value
$326,800
national $303,400
Home prices, 5 years
+46.2%
over the 5 years to 2023
Monthly rent
$1,341
national $1,348
Homeownership
72%
national 65%
Unemployment
3.9%
national 3.6%
Household income
$82,855
national $78,538
Median age
41.5 yrs
national 38.7

The cost of living runs about 1% below the national average. The median home is valued at $326,800 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 46% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $1,341 a month. Unemployment averaged 3.9% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $82,855. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved.

Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, Delaware saw a net gain of 4,013 tax-filing households and a net gain of 7,734 individuals. Against a population of about 1,031,890, that is a net inflow of about 7.5 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area gained $562M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 5,744 households, came from Pennsylvania; the largest outflow, about 3,885 households, went to Pennsylvania. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net gain of 9,439 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved.

Net income (AGI)
+$562M
nominal dollars
Net households
+4,013
tax returns
Net people
+7,734
exemptions

+7.5 net people per 1,000 residents (population 1,031,890)

Income (AGI) in and out

Moved in$1.9B
Moved out$1.3B
Net +$562M (nominal)
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Delaware counties

Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it.

Net outNet in(AGI $)
Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves.
Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly.
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Top origin states

  1. 1Pennsylvania5,744$496.9M
  2. 2Maryland3,847$366.5M
  3. 3New Jersey2,434$246.8M
  4. 4New York1,874$166.3M
  5. 5Florida1,141$84.3M
  6. 6Virginia1,084$111.5M
  7. 7California532$53.7M
  8. 8Texas511$43.1M
  9. 9North Carolina501$35.1M
  10. 10Georgia334$19.9M
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Top destination states

  1. 1Pennsylvania3,885$294.8M
  2. 2Maryland2,955$193.9M
  3. 3Florida1,546$169.5M
  4. 4New Jersey1,241$93M
  5. 5New York914$64.8M
  6. 6Virginia854$67.5M
  7. 7North Carolina710$51.8M
  8. 8Texas686$53.8M
  9. 9California475$46.3M
  10. 10Georgia408$23.9M
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Churn by state · both directions at once

The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 20222023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort.

Pennsylvania5,7443,885+1,859+$202.1M
Maryland3,8472,955+892+$172.6M
New Jersey2,4341,241+1,193+$153.8M
New York1,874914+960+$101.5M
Florida1,1411,546-405-$85.2M
Virginia1,084854+230+$44M
North Carolina501710-209-$16.7M
Texas511686-175-$10.8M
California532475+57+$7.4M
Georgia334408-74-$3.9M
South Carolina225356-131-$14.6M
Massachusetts233244-11+$70K

Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed.

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Net migration by year

Net 2012–2023: +$3.9B (+71,356 people)
20122023
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Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars)
YearNet AGINet people
2012-$47.7M+1,682
2013+$100.5M+4,584
2014+$63.2M+1,634
2015+$146.1M+2,230
2016+$130M+3,088
2017+$345.8M+7,133
2018+$330.7M+6,975
2019+$346.6M+6,378
2020+$751.2M+9,827
2021+$535.6M+10,652
2022+$614.3M+9,439
2023+$562M+7,734
Migration in context

How big is this move, relative to the state?

In the 20222023 filing year, about 7,734 more people moved into Delaware than left (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net gain of about $562M in income (nominal) — in a state of 1,035,354 people.

Population
1,035,354
Census 2023 estimate
Net migration rate
+7.5
net people per 1,000 residents
A town of 10,000 would net about +75 people.
Net income per resident
+$543
nominal dollars
+$562M total across 1,035,354 residents.

The rate lets you compare Delaware with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people.

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Components of population change · 2023 (Census)

Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component.

Births
+10,721
Deaths
-10,983
Net domestic migration
+9,872
Net international migration
+5,322
Total change
+15,075

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers.

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Income & cost of living

What a dollar is worth here

Prices around Delaware run about 1% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $101 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person.

Income per person
$64,591
what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal)
8% below the U.S. average
Price level
98.8
100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity)
everyday costs about 1.2% lower than average
What that income buys
$65,403
local income restated at U.S.-average prices
7% below the U.S. average
Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier

Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level).

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Where the cost comes from · price parity by category

Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another.

Housing & rents98.9
Goods97.3
Utilities104.4
Other services99.4

Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works.

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Who lives here

The people of Delaware

American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers).

Median age
41.5
years
Median household income
$82,855
per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal)
5% above the U.S. median
College degree
35%
adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher
Poverty rate
10.7%
residents below the poverty line
Average commute
26 min
mean travel time to work
Broadband at home
91%
households with any broadband
Race and ethnicity (share of residents)
White 59%Hispanic 11%Black 21%Asian 4%Other 5%

White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works.

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Housing · what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023)

Median home value
$326,800
owner-occupied homes
8% above the U.S. median
Median rent
$1,341
gross rent per month
1% below the U.S. median
Homeownership
72%
of occupied homes are owner-occupied
Home-price appreciation · FHFA index, 2023
Past year
+8.2%
price change, 2022 to 2023
Past 5 years
+46%
price change, 2018 to 2023

A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index.

New home construction · building permits, 2023
5,765new housing units authorized in 2023
Single-family 81%Multifamily 19%

Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.

Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works.

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Local economy & risk

Jobs and natural hazards

Unemployment rate
3.9%
BLS 2023 annual average
Labor force
509,805
489,890 employed
Disaster declarations
major federal, 2023

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works.

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Unemployment now
4.2%
May 2026 · ▬ 0.0 points vs May 2025
January 2024May 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works.

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Who’s moving by income

Net migration by income bracket

Tax-filing households that moved into Delaware minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 20222023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level.

$1–$10k
+309
In 1,759Out 1,450+$1.5M AGI
$10k–$25k
+337
In 3,519Out 3,182+$5.8M AGI
$25k–$50k
+358
In 4,892Out 4,534+$14.2M AGI
$50k–$75k
+584
In 3,323Out 2,739+$35.7M AGI
$75k–$100k
+525
In 2,248Out 1,723+$45.8M AGI
$100k–$200k
+1,208
In 3,735Out 2,527+$172.7M AGI
$200k+
+663
In 1,829Out 1,166+$286.8M AGI

Among the highest earners ($200k+), Delaware ranks #13 of 51 states for net household migration (+663).

Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works.

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Goods trade

What Delaware ships and receives

Physical goods shipped between Delaware and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above.

$43.3B
Ships to other states
+20% since 2017
$38.6B
Receives from states
+52% since 2017
+$4.7B
Net balance

Top goods shipped out

Mixed freight
$11.8B
Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment
$6.7B
Fuel oils
$5.7B
Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel
$3.8B
Miscellaneous manufactured products
$2.9B
Plastics and rubber
$1.6B

Top goods received

Mixed freight
$4.3B
Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment
$2.6B
Fuel oils
$2.0B
Miscellaneous manufactured products
$1.7B
Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel
$1.6B
Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts)
$1.4B

Biggest trading partners (both ways)

Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means Delaware ships more to that partner than it gets back).

PartnerShips toReceivesNetTotal
Pennsylvania$14.4B$5.4B+$9.0B$19.8B
New Jersey$7.7B$11.5B-$3.8B$19.3B
Maryland$3.8B$4.2B-$416M$7.9B
New York$5.2B$1.3B+$3.9B$6.4B
Virginia$1.6B$1.6B+$9M$3.1B
California$1.2B$1.3B-$189M$2.5B
Massachusetts$1.9B$523M+$1.4B$2.4B
Florida$1.5B$820M+$631M$2.3B

Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between Delaware and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works.

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Taxes the state collects

What Delaware collects in taxes

Total state taxes
$6.6B
FY 2023, nominal
Per resident
$6,339
total state taxes ÷ population
Largest categories (share of total)
Individual income tax$2.4B · 37%
Corporation license$2.4B · 36%
Corporation net income tax$571.2M · 9%
Documentary & stock transfer$266.7M · 4%
Occupation & business license$170.6M · 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works.

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How Delaware has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page.

President, 19762024

YearDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
2024289,758214,3517,588D +14.7511,697
2020296,268200,6037,139D +19.0504,010
2016235,603185,12722,267D +11.4442,997
2012242,584165,4845,869D +18.6413,937
2008255,459152,3744,579D +25.0412,412
2004200,141171,6513,378D +7.6375,170
2000180,068137,28810,173D +13.1327,529
1996140,35599,06231,393D +15.2270,810
1992126,054102,31361,253D +8.2289,620
1988108,647139,6391,605R +12.4249,891
1984101,656152,190726R +19.9254,572
1980105,754111,25218,662R +2.3235,668
1976122,461109,7803,401D +5.4235,642

U.S. Senate races · all states →

YearWinnerDemocraticRepublicanOtherMargin
2024Lisa Blunt Rochester283,298197,75319,555D +17.1
2020Christopher A. Coons291,804186,05413,077D +21.5
2018Thomas R. Carper217,385137,1278,080D +22.1
2014Christopher A. Coons130,65598,8234,560D +13.6
2012Thomas R. Carper265,415115,70018,491D +37.5
2010specialChristopher A. Coons174,012123,05310,302D +16.6
2008Joseph R. Biden Jr.257,539140,595D +29.4
2006Thomas R. Carper170,56769,7342,671D +41.5
2002Joseph R. Biden Jr.135,25394,7932,268D +17.4
2000Thomas R. Carper181,566142,8912,536D +11.8

U.S. House seats won · district maps →

2024
D 1 · R 0
2022
D 1 · R 0
2020
D 1 · R 0
2018
D 1 · R 0
2016
D 1 · R 0
2014
D 1 · R 0
2012
D 1 · R 0
2010
D 1 · R 0
2008
D 0 · R 1
2006
D 0 · R 1
2004
D 0 · R 1
2002
D 0 · R 1
2000
D 0 · R 1

2024 results by county

Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other
Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates.
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Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast.

Counties in Delaware (3)

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