| Index | Newark | Delaware | National |
| Cost of living | 115 | 107 | 100 |
| Groceries | 100 | 99 | 100 |
| Health care | 101 | 100 | 100 |
| Housing | 147 | 123 | 100 |
| Transportation | 100 | 99 | 100 |
| Utilities | 100 | 102 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 102 | 102 | 100 |
| Household Items | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 103 | 99 | 100 |
The cost of living in Newark affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Newark is 115, which is 15% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.
Housing costs are a major factor in the Newark cost of living index, and they often eat up a big chunk of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, housing expenses for both homeownership and rentals were 47.3% higher than what's typical in an average city. That includes the prices of homes and rents, as well as mortgage rates and insurance.
Nobody knows their city better than the people who actually live there. So, we asked 6 local residents how they would rate the cost of living in Newark and this is how they responded. 0% of people said that the cost of living was affordable, with prices decreasing, while 100% of people said that the cost of living was very expensive and prices continue to rise.
Is Newark an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Newark is 54.1% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 31.4% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Newark has a median household income of $88,901, which is 9.3% higher than the national average.
Groceries: Grocery expenditures have undergone notable escalation over the last 2-3 years. In some markets, the cost of food products has surged by more than 20%, while others have experienced only modest increments. These fluctuations in food costs can have a significant impact on the overall cost of living in any region. In Newark, the groceries index registers 0.1% lower than the national average.
Urbanization: Urban areas with a wealth of amenities and employment opportunities tend to come with a higher price tag for living. Why? Well, more people want to be there, which drives up home prices and rents. On the flip side, less densely populated rural areas or places where there's not as much demand usually mean fewer attractions, things to do and slower job growth. That often results in a lower cost of living.
Housing: When there's a high demand for housing in trendy places, it can cause property prices and rental rates to soar, leading to a significantly higher cost of living. Conversely, in less desirable locations, where demand is low, prices tend to decrease, resulting in a more budget-friendly cost of living. In Newark, the housing index is 47.3% higher than the national average.
The Newark cost of living estimates above use a normalized U.S. average of 100 as the baseline for comparison. Housing values incorporate local home price and rental information from the U.S. Census, while all other estimates are AI-assisted and modeled using expected everyday expenses, local market trends, climate, and transportation-related cost pressures. The results are intended for practical city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| 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 | $131,543 | $10,962 | $3,069 | $3,947 |
| Renters | $45,108 | $3,759 | $1,052 | $1,353 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Delaware | 0% | 0% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Delaware | 2.2% | 6.6% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Lincoln University, PA | 1,902 | 100 | 0.5% |
| Pennsville, NJ | 12,293 | 97 | 2.6% |
| Wilmington Manor, DE | 8,668 | 100 | 0.3% |
| Wilmington, DE | 72,823 | 100 | 0.5% |
| Elsmere, DE | 5,954 | 101 | 0.7% |
| Newark, DE | 35,117 | 115 | 14.5% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Chester, PA | 35,117 | 86 | 13.9% |
| Sun Prairie, WI | 35,107 | 110 | 9.5% |
| Montgomery Village, MD | 35,133 | 127 | 26.7% |
| Wenatchee, WA | 35,091 | 117 | 16.5% |
| Adelanto, CA | 35,081 | 116 | 15.8% |
| Newark, DE | 35,117 | 115 | 14.5% |
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