Do you make enough money to rent in Delaware? This report says 30% of workers don't

If you want to comfortably afford a one-bedroom apartment in Delaware, you will need to make at least $52,000 per year.

That is according to the latest report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, which breaks down how much someone needs to make annually to afford a studio, one-bedroom, and all the way up to four-bedroom housing in the First State.

The ‘Out of Reach’ report maps out by ZIP code across all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., the hourly wage someone would need to afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment. The report also provides data on median wages for each state’s most common occupations, and the total number of people employed in those jobs.

The First State has not been left unscathed by the affordable housing crisis gripping the nation. Previous coalition reports have found a growing gap in available affordable housing in Delaware, especially for the lowest-income residents.

About 28% of Delaware’s households are renters, with 24% earning less than $32,500 annually, according to the coalition’s ‘Out of Reach’ report. And 42% of households make less than $54,167 annually, leaving a large portion of Delaware’s population on the cusp of being able to comfortably afford a one-bedroom apartment.

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Delaware Online/The News Journal calculated salaries based on the reported hourly wage multiplied by a 40-hour workweek and assuming wages are paid for all 52 weeks of the year.

Cost of housing by ZIP code

As some would expect, the most expensive housing can be found in Delaware’s northern parts while costs gradually reduce the further south you go in the First State – unless you are at the beach.

The cheapest place to find housing is along the Delaware-Maryland border in Delmar. Residents there need only make $14.62 per hour, or about $30,400 annually, to afford a one-bedroom in the 19940 ZIP code. For a two-bedroom in Delmar, wages would need to be $19.23 per hour or about $40,000 annually.

How jobs impact what you can afford

About 30% of the working population in Delaware is employed in jobs that typically pay less than $25.19 per hour – the average hourly wage the National Low Income Housing Coalition says is needed to afford a one-bedroom apartment.

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The coalition report listed 19 common occupations in Delaware with average wages below what is needed to afford a one-bedroom apartment, including fast food workers, cashiers, servers, home health care aides, retail salespeople, nursing assistants, janitors, landscapers, and customer service representatives.

Only seven occupations make enough to afford one- or two-bedroom apartments in Delaware, including registered nurses, software developers, accountants, and auditors.

Housing around city centers

Delaware workers are further burdened by housing costs depending on where they live.

Here’s a look at what you would need to earn to afford housing around Delaware’s city centers:

• The most affordable area in Wilmington , the state’s largest city, is the 19801 ZIP code encompassing Southbridge, downtown and around the Riverfront, which requires a nearly $49,200 salary for pay for a one-bedroom and a $58,800 salary to afford two-bedrooms.
• The most affordable area near Newark is in the 19713 ZIP code running along Route 4 where you would need to make over $55,200 annually to afford a one-bedroom. A two-bedroom would necessitate a nearly $66,000 salary.
• As you head south to Smyrna , housing costs dip slightly. In the 19977 ZIP code encompassing the community, you would need to make $48,400 annually to pay for a one-bedroom and $58,800 for a two-bedroom.
• In Dover , which is straddled by two ZIP codes, the cheaper 19904 requires a roughly $44,000 salary for a one-bedroom and about $54,000 annually for a two-bedroom.
• It gets slightly more costly in Lewes , which is situated along Delaware’s coastline, requiring a $50,400 salary for a one-bedroom and nearly $66,000 annually for a two-bedroom.

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Do you make enough money to rent in Delaware? This report says 30% of workers don't