Head-to-head
Pennsylvania vs Delaware
Delaware's 2024 price level is 2.236 points above Pennsylvania's (99.808 vs 97.572); Delaware homes are worth $97,500 more at the median, but Pennsylvania owners pay $1,543 more a year in property tax.
Updated
| Measure | Pennsylvania | Delaware | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 97.572 | 99.808 | −2.236 points |
| Rent price level | 85.068 | 102.015 | −16.947 points |
| Home value | $254,500±$767 | $352,000±$2,842 | −$97,500 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,245±$7 | $1,397±$24 | −$152 |
| Household income | $77,971±$342 | $84,954±$1,251 | −$6,983 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $3,311±$12 | $1,768±$20 | +$1,543 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Pennsylvania scales to $4,092 in Delaware at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Pennsylvania vs Delaware: no sales tax on one side, higher property tax on the other
Rents are the main price difference, and they favour Pennsylvania: a rent parity of 85.068 against Delaware's 102.015, and a two-bedroom gross-rent median of $1,245 against $1,397, $152 a month less. Goods run the other way, cheaper in Delaware at 96.155 against 99.357, and Pennsylvania's utilities are 5.511 points dearer.
Ownership costs cross over. Delaware homes cost $97,500 more at the median, yet Pennsylvania owners carry the bigger tax bill, $1,543 more a year. Owners with a mortgage end up with almost the same median monthly costs, $1,816 and $1,762.
The tax systems are opposites at the register. Census records no state general sales tax in Delaware, while Pennsylvania charges 6%, plus 1% in Allegheny County and 2% in Philadelphia, with exemptions for most clothing and food that is not ready to eat. Delaware's state government instead draws 38.7% of its revenue from license taxes and 39.6% from individual income tax, collecting $6,557 per resident in fiscal 2025 against Pennsylvania's $4,330.
Delaware's prices have risen faster. Its parity climbed every year from 96.791 in 2020 to 99.808 in 2024, overtaking Pennsylvania, which went from 97.717 to 97.572.
Delaware's median household income is higher, $84,954 against $77,971, but real per capita personal income, adjusted for prices, favours Pennsylvania: $58,620 (rank 24) against $55,185 (rank 39).
Keep deposits and moving costs in the first-year column, and compare actual offers rather than household medians.
Price levels by category
| Measure | Pennsylvania | Delaware | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 97.572 | 99.808 | −2.236 |
| Goods | 99.357 | 96.155 | +3.202 |
| Housing (rents) | 85.068 | 102.015 | −16.947 |
| Utilities | 109.321 | 103.810 | +5.511 |
| Other services | 99.762 | 101.235 | −1.473 |
| Real income per person (2017 $) | $58,620 | $55,185 | +$3,435 |
Two state tax mixes, FY2025
Pennsylvania: $56.55 billion, $4,330 per resident. Delaware: $6.95 billion, $6,557 per resident.
| Tax | PA share | DE share | PA per resident | DE per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | 31.6% | 39.6% | $1,368 | $2,599 |
| General sales | 28.5% | not levied | $1,235 | — |
| Property | 0.1% | not levied | $3 | — |
| Motor fuel | 5.8% | 1.9% | $251 | $125 |
| Other selective sales | 15.8% | 7.8% | $683 | $510 |
| Corporate income | 7.9% | 8.3% | $340 | $545 |
| Licenses | 5.9% | 38.7% | $256 | $2,535 |
| Severance | not levied | not levied | — | — |
| Other taxes | 4.5% | 3.7% | $194 | $243 |
Taxes on wages and purchases
| Tax | Pennsylvania | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax | Not summarised on this site; see the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue | graduated, 2.2% up to 6.6% from $60,000 |
| State sales tax | 6%, plus 1% in Allegheny County and 2% in Philadelphia | gross receipts tax on sellers, not shoppers |
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