Retirement Plans For Those In the Northeast Are Choosing Delaware Over Florida As Place To Retire

For decades, Florida has been the state of choice for seniors planning their retirement. But recently, a few other contenders have given the Sunshine State a run for its pension money.

Delaware, which earned the No. 3 spot on a recent list of the most affordable states to retire to, is a choice that some experts feel has special appeal for those living in the Northeast US.

“Delaware is increasingly being chosen over Florida by retirees from the Northeast for a number of reasons,” says Roger Vance, CEO of Safe Ship Moving Services. “It’s a state that offers a lot of tax advantages, most being better than what you find in Florida. When you combine that with its proximity to New York — which is one of the top states retirees are moving from — it’s easy to see why its popularity is growing.”

Vance is the CEO of Safe Ship Moving Services, a moving brokerage specializing in interstate household goods transportation. Leveraging his background in business from Liberty University, Vance has built Safe Ship into a large-scale logistics intermediary that connects customers with a nationwide network of licensed and insured moving companies. Safe Ship has become a trusted resource for movers by focusing on providing flexible pricing, streamlined coordination, and a simplified moving experience for consumers, particularly retirees and young professionals. Vance is an advocate for the role of brokers in the moving industry, emphasizing their ability to generate consistent business for carriers while improving efficiency and accessibility for customers navigating long-distance relocations.

Safe Ship Moving Services analyzed over 25,000 long-distance household moves in 2026, highlighting a broader regional shift toward Southern states as a defining trend.

Retirees are finding lower housing costs in Delaware

Housing costs represent the largest financial obligation for retirees, with some studies showing they account for more than 40% of expenses. The desire to reduce housing costs is one of the main factors drawing retirees away from Florida and toward Delaware.

“To understand why Delaware is drawing more retirees, you need to understand all of the factors that contribute to housing costs,” Vance says. “If you’re looking strictly at the cost of buying a house, the median home price is actually a little lower in Florida than in Delaware. But purchase price isn’t the only expense. When you pile on insurance costs, HOA fees, property taxes, and maintenance, Delaware becomes the clear winner.”

Homeowner’s insurance is the biggest differentiator when it comes to housing costs between the two states. Figures provided by MoneyGeek show insurance rates in Florida are nearly 200% higher than the national average for a $250,000 home. In Delaware, where rates are among the lowest in the US, costs are 78% below the national average.

A move to Delaware can also help retirees to keep high HOA fees from eating away at their retirement income. In Florida, the average monthly payment to a homeowners association is $463, which puts it among the top 10 highest states in the country. By comparison, the average monthly HOA payment in Delaware is $256.

Tax demands drive a higher cost of living in Florida 

Taxes are another factor that contributes to a higher cost of living in Florida. A variety of tax obligations in Florida, including property taxes and sales tax, are higher than those imposed on retirees living in Delaware.

“Low taxes are definitely one of the benefits of retiring to Delaware,” Vance says. “With property taxes, you gain a slight benefit from Delaware’s rates. But the lack of sales tax in Delaware is the biggest win.”

Florida residents pay a general state sales tax of 6% along with local taxes that push the total as high as 8.5% in some areas. As Vance points out, living in Delaware means paying 0% sales tax.

“Some studies suggest the average Floridian pays about $1,400 per year in sales tax,” Vance says. “Add a new car or a boat to your purchases, and it can quickly add up.”

Property tax rates in Florida are 0.78%, which amounts to approximately $3,150 for housing priced at the state’s median home value. Delaware’s 0.54% tax rate amounts to approximately $2,200 for median homes.

Despite these affordability differences, Safe Ship’s 2026 moving data shows 51% of all long-distance moves were headed to the South, with Florida leading the country in inbound moves. 

Those who retire over the next 10 years should expect to see costs rise

Delaware seems the clear winner in terms of cost benefits for those launching into retirement in the near future, especially if the goal is to stay in the Northeast. But experts warn that changing demographics over the next decade could cause more shifts in rankings of the best states for retirees.

“We should expect ongoing developments as Baby Boomers, who represent the largest sector of the US population, enter the retirement landscape over the next few years,” Vance says. “I would expect retirement communities all over America to increase in population over the next 5 to 10 years, with the nicer ones in the most retiree-friendly states obviously becoming more expensive. Finding the best states for retirees over the next decade will involve considering the impact of those developments.”

These patterns reflect comprehensive moving data tracked by Safe Ship in 2026 across more than 25,000 long-distance relocations throughout 2026, reinforcing how shifting demographics are reshaping retirement choices nationwide.