Living in Delaware · 2026
Is $142,000 enough to live in Delaware?
Single adult · DE · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data
Monthly take-home
$8,316
Avg monthly expenses
$2,306
Avg monthly surplus
$6,010
Savings potential
~72%
After-tax take-home in Delaware
How $142,000 feels in Delaware cities
Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL
Wilmington
COL index: 1.05× national avg
Dover
COL index: 1.08× national avg
Newark
COL index: 1.03× national avg
Middletown
COL index: 1.00× national avg
Smyrna
COL index: 0.97× national avg
Milford
COL index: 0.99× national avg
50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner
Based on your monthly take-home of $8,316 ($99,792/yr)
$4,158
per month
- ›Rent / mortgage
- ›Groceries
- ›Utilities
- ›Insurance
- ›Minimum debt payments
- ›Transportation
$2,495
per month
- ›Dining out
- ›Streaming services
- ›Gym
- ›Hobbies
- ›Travel
- ›Shopping
$1,663
per month
- ›Emergency fund
- ›401(k) / IRA
- ›Investments
- ›Down payment fund
- ›Debt payoff (extra)
Needs / year
$49,896
Wants / year
$29,938
Savings / year
$19,958
Salary Intelligence
Excellent salary in WilmingtonAt $142,000, housing costs only 16% of take-home income — well below the 25% threshold. This leaves strong room for savings, discretionary spending, and wealth building.
Lifestyle Assessment
A $142,000 salary comfortably supports a very good single lifestyle in Wilmington, Delaware, with approximately $5,937/month (~71% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.
Purchasing Power
Wilmington is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 1.05). $142,000 here is roughly equivalent to $250,190 in San Francisco or $119,010 in an affordable city like Birmingham.
State & National Benchmark
$142,000 is 207% above the Delaware individual median of $46,200 and 154% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.
State individual median
$46,200
+207%
State household median
$79,325
+79%
Tax reduction strategies
$142,000 vs. Delaware income benchmarks
Individual median (Delaware)
$46,200
+207% vs. this salary
Household median (Delaware)
$79,325
+79% vs. this salary
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023
Related salary insights
Explore other salary levels in Delaware
Data Sources
- •Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
- •Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
- •Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index
Data updated monthly using government datasets.