Where Delaware’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022
How does living in the First State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about the state’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Delaware’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,057 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 16 cities and towns across Delaware, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Delaware and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Delaware’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Delaware residents pay $2,057 in household bills a month
The average Delaware household pays $2,057 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Delaware residents, overall, pay high household bill expenses: the state ranks 15th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Slightly more expensive than Delaware is Oregon, where residents pay $2,070 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Illinois, where residents pay $2,029.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay a whopping $2,911 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where residents pay $1,452 per month.
Delaware household expenses, on average, are 2.7% higher than the national average of $2,003.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Delaware households spend 37% of their income on household costs, which is much lower than many states where households pay less expensive household bills on average. For example, although Louisiana is the 29th most expensive state, its residents pay 46% of household income on bills.
Annually, Delaware residents pay $8 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Delaware by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Delaware
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,057 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $8 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 15 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 37%
- Difference from the National Average: 2.7% higher
Auto insurance is 22% more expensive in Delaware
The average Delaware household pays $2,057 in the 10 most common household bills per month. This figure is relatively close to the national average of $2,003. Rent and mortgage prices, for instance, are nearly the same as the national average: the average mortgage payment in Delaware is $1,376, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368. Rent in Delaware is the same as the national average: $1,129 per month.
When it comes to auto insurance, however, Delaware residents pay higher than average bills. While the average auto insurance bill in Delaware is $238 per month, nationally it is only $196. Cable and internet is another category where Delaware pays more than average: $129 in the First State compared to $114 nationally.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Delaware Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Delaware Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Delaware Percent +/- National Average ($2,003) |
| Mortgage | $1,376 | $1,368 | 1% higher |
| Rent | $1,129 | $1,129 | 0% higher |
| Auto Loan | $476 | $433 | 10% higher |
| Utilities | $322 | $328 | 2% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $238 | $196 | 22% higher |
| Cable & Internet | $129 | $114 | 13% higher |
| Health Insurance | $122 | $123 | 1% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $121 | $113 | 6% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $82 | $84 | 3% lower |
| Life Insurance | $66 | $82 | 20% lower |
| Total | $2,057 | $2,003 | 2.7% higher |
Hockessin is the most expensive area for Delaware’s household bills
Residents of Hockessin pay the highest household bills in the state of Delaware, at an average of $2,590 per month. Residents of the area spend a relatively low share of their income on household bills, though: 24%. This is almost half what Milford residents spend: 46%.
Middletown comes in second in the rankings in absolute spending terms, with residents paying an average of $2,354 on household expenses. Residents of the area spend 28% of their income on household bills.
Also on the list of the 5 most expensive areas in the state are Bear ($2,339 per month), Milford ($2,185), and Newark ($2,170).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
5 Most Expensive Delaware Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-5 out of 16) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Hockessin | $2,590 | 24% |
| 2 | Middletown | $2,354 | 28% |
| 3 | Bear | $2,339 | 33% |
| 4 | Milford | $2,185 | 46% |
| 5 | Newark | $2,170 | 37% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Laurel is the most affordable area in Delaware for household bills
Out of 16 cities and towns, Laurel is the most affordable place in Delaware, with residents paying $1,692 on average for household bills. Residents of Laurel spend 39% of their income on household bills: considerably more than residents of the most expensive area in the state, Hockessin.
Seaford is second most affordable on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,826 on household bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Delaware are Rehoboth Beach ($1,829 a month), Clymont ($1,899 a month), and Georgetown ($1,924 a month).
5 Most Affordable Delaware Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (12-16 out of 16) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 12 | Georgetown | $1,924 | 44% |
| 13 | Claymont | $1,899 | 39% |
| 14 | Rehoboth Beach | $1,829 | 29% |
| 15 | Seaford | $1,826 | 41% |
| 16 | Laurel | $1,692 | 39% |
In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Delaware’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.