| Index | Dover | New Jersey | National |
| Cost of living | 121 | 125 | 100 |
| Groceries | 108 | 108 | 100 |
| Health care | 111 | 112 | 100 |
| Housing | 147 | 157 | 100 |
| Transportation | 110 | 114 | 100 |
| Utilities | 109 | 111 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 108 | 113 | 100 |
| Household Items | 106 | 107 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 118 | 120 | 100 |
Getting a feel for the cost of living in Dover is essential for anyone planning to relocate, as it empowers them to make informed financial decisions, secure a comfortable lifestyle and maintain financial stability in their new environment. The cost of living in Dover is 121, which is 21% higher than the national average. Relocating individuals may need to adjust their savings and investment strategies based on the cost of living in the new location. It influences decisions about retirement planning, investments and financial goals.
If affordability is among your top priorities when searching for a new place to live, this area may not be the ideal fit, as the cost of living in Dover is among the most expensive in the United States. Just a minority of areas exhibit a cost of living at least 20% higher than the national average, and unfortunately, Dover falls into this category, which may not align with your goal of finding a budget-friendly living environment.
Housing costs significantly influence the Dover cost of living index, typically accounting for a substantial portion of one's post-tax income. Regrettably, within this particular region, expenses related to both residential ownership and renting exceeded those observed in an average city by 47.4%. This entails elements such as housing and rental prices, mortgage interest rates and insurance costs.
Is Dover an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Dover, the median home price is 43.7% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 56.2% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Dover come in at $95,974, which is 18% higher than the national average.
Transportation: If public transportation is limited or not available, residents may need to own and maintain vehicles, which can add to the cost of living. Gas, insurance, regular maintenance and potentially lease or finance payments will all need to be paid on a monthly basis. In Dover, the transportation index is 9.7% higher than the national average.
Groceries: The costs associated with groceries have witnessed substantial increases over the past 2-3 years. In select markets, food prices have escalated by more than 20% during this timeframe, whereas others have seen more restrained upticks. The variances in food expenses can exert a considerable influence on the overall cost of living in a given locale. In Dover, the groceries index is 7.9% higher than the national average.
Subsidies: Some areas might offer government subsidies or assistance programs that help lower cost of living for residents. These programs can include anything from Medicare, Medicaid, housing subsidies, low-income home energy assistance programs, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, student loans, electric vehicle tax credits, affordable care act subsidies and crop subsidies. Areas that offer less subsidies, could see an increase in their cost of living.
The Dover cost of living data above is designed around a U.S. average baseline of 100, allowing for easy comparisons of relative living costs. Housing incorporates U.S. Census home price and rental data, while all other figures are AI-assisted estimates that account for regional price trends, climate, transportation dynamics, and common everyday expenses. These values are best used as directional city-to-city comparisons.
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| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $132,817 | $11,068 | $3,099 | $3,985 |
| Renters | $74,470 | $6,206 | $1,738 | $2,234 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| New Jersey | 6.625% | 12.625% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| New Jersey | 1.4% | 10.75% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Victory Gardens, NJ | 1,654 | 108 | 7.7% |
| Newton, NJ | 8,102 | 117 | 16.6% |
| Allamuchy, NJ | 116 | 115 | 15.0% |
| Ogdensburg, NJ | 2,235 | 121 | 21.2% |
| Netcong, NJ | 3,285 | 120 | 19.9% |
| Dover, NJ | 18,528 | 121 | 21.0% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Upper Grand Lagoon, FL | 18,531 | 112 | 12.4% |
| Canby, OR | 18,522 | 126 | 25.9% |
| Lenoir, NC | 18,535 | 88 | 12.5% |
| Sheridan, WY | 18,519 | 105 | 4.5% |
| Russell, ON | 18,518 | n/a | |
| Dover, NJ | 18,528 | 121 | 21.0% |
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