Overall
97.5
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Dover, DE
Cost-of-living indicators for Dover, DE, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 97.5
- Overall RPP
- #121
- of 387 metros
- 95.9
- Rents RPP
- $103K
- $100K national buys
Dover ranks #121 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has held steady since 2008.
- stable since 2008
- similar cost to Longview-Kelso
The verdict
Dover costs less than 31% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 97.5, 2.5% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 95.9.
- bottom 69%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 96.4
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 97.2
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $102,557 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $97,507.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 0.7 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2024, when the index jumped 5.6 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Dover overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 96.8 |
| 2009 | 98.1 |
| 2010 | 98.5 |
| 2011 | 98.3 |
| 2012 | 97.3 |
| 2013 | 97.7 |
| 2014 | 98.6 |
| 2015 | 97.4 |
| 2016 | 100.3 |
| 2017 | 96.7 |
| 2018 | 94.9 |
| 2019 | 95.2 |
| 2020 | 93.9 |
| 2021 | 95.8 |
| 2022 | 95.1 |
| 2023 | 91.9 |
| 2024 | 97.5 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Dover's overall RPP rose +5.6 points, from 91.9 in 2023 to 97.5 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 69.1 to 95.9. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$97,507
in Dover, DE purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$48,754
$75,000 nationally
$73,130
$125,000 nationally
$121,884
$150,000 nationally
$146,261
$200,000 nationally
$195,014
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
D
29/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability D
29th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Housing-led affordability profile
How Dover's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Dover: rents index at 95.9, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 97.5.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ, Carson City, NV. They resemble Dover across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Dover's overall index has stayed within 0.7 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Dover vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
98 Top 31% higher than 69% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Dover cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
95.9 RPP
- Services
Services
97.2 RPP
- Overall
Overall
97.5 RPP
- Goods
Goods
96.4 RPP
What this shows Dover's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 95.9 depart furthest from 100, while goods sits at 96.4. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Dover's cost comes from
Metros near Dover's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 96.4, rents 97.6). Dover is more affordable than similar-cost metros across the board. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Read the chart as text
- Dover (Dover, this metro): goods RPP 96.4, rents RPP 95.9
- Longview: goods RPP 105, rents RPP 82.5
- Durham: goods RPP 96.6, rents RPP 98.9
- Charlotte: goods RPP 96.6, rents RPP 97.6
- St. George: goods RPP 96.4, rents RPP 98.1
- Pensacola: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 98.8
- Panama City: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 96.4
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.4
Below avg
Services
97.2
Below avg
Rents
95.9
Below avg
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Dover, DE's index of 97.5.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Dover's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Goods 93.8 · Services 91.6 · Rents 97.1 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ
Goods 96.2 · Services 91.5 · Rents 98.8 Carson City, NV
Goods 96.3 · Services 92.7 · Rents 101.2 Gainesville, GA
Goods 96.3 · Services 89.6 · Rents 93.5 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
Goods 96.2 · Services 89.0 · Rents 94.9 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Goods 96.6 · Services 89.2 · Rents 97.6
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Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for Dover
How to read Dover's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $102,557 in Dover. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 95.9, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Dover head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Dover, DE?
Dover, DE has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 97.5, meaning it is 2.5% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.4, services at 97.2, and rents at 95.9. It ranks #121 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Dover, DE to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $97,507 in Dover, DE. Conversely, $100K earned in Dover, DE has the purchasing power of $102,557 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Dover, DE?
Rents in Dover, DE are indexed at 95.9, which is 4.1% below the national average. This is close to the U.S. average.
Is Dover, DE getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Dover, DE's overall cost index changed by +0.7 points (from 96.8 to 97.5). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What costs the most in Dover, DE?
The priciest category in Dover, DE is services at 97.2, 2.8% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 95.9, 4.1% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Dover, DE?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Longview-Kelso, Durham-Chapel Hill, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Dover, DE's 97.5.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.