($1,421) Movers From Des Moines, IA to Wilmington, DE

What to know before moving from Des Moines to Wilmington

Moving from Des Moines to Wilmington comes with exciting new opportunities — but also higher living costs. Since Wilmington is generally more expensive than Des Moines, it’s important to plan ahead and budget carefully for the change.

Check out how the two cities compare so you know what to expect before you relocate:

• Rent prices in Wilmington are 58% higher than in Des Moines, which means you’ll have less money in your pocket each month.
• In terms of homeownership, you’ll be able to get more for your money in Des Moines.
  Home prices in Wilmington are 60.0% higher than in Des Moines.
• Income in Wilmington is 15.6% lower than in Des Moines, so you could earn less for doing the same job. The top employers in Wilmington include Nestle, DuPont, and AstraZeneca.
• Be sure to budget for higher bills in Wilmington, since the cost of living for a single person in Wilmington is 86.8% higher than in Des Moines. This includes routine expenses like utilities, groceries, clothing, and transportation.
• The cost of living for a family is the same in Wilmington and Des Moines.
• The unemployment rate in Wilmington is 74.58% higher than in Des Moines.
• You’ll spend less on retail and restaurants in Wilmington, since the city’s sales taxes in Wilmington are 100.00% lower than in Des Moines.
• State income taxes in Wilmington are 50.00% higher than in Des Moines.

To put this in perspective, you would need around $5,604.97 in Wilmington to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with $3,000.00 in Des Moines.

How life is different in Des Moines vs. Wilmington

• Wilmington might offer you a slower pace of life, since the population is about 90% less than Des Moines.
• Wilmington offers better access to buses and trains than Des Moines, based on public transportation ratings. Wilmington has a transit score of 6 out of 10 compared to 5 in Des Moines. The higher the score, the more public transportation pickup and dropoff locations a city provides.
• Living in Wilmington means you’ll likely be within closer walking distance to restaurants, shops, parks, and entertainment than you are in Des Moines. Wilmington is considered more walkable than Des Moines, with a score of 74 out of 100 versus 45 out of 100 in Des Moines. A city’s walkability score indicates how pedestrian-friendly it is in terms of proximity of neighborhoods to amenities.
• If cycling is your thing, Wilmington is considered more bike-friendly than Des Moines in terms of designated lanes and connectivity and how many residents opt to commute on two wheels rather than by car. Wilmington has a bike-friendliness score of 52 out of 100, while Des Moines is rated as 39 out of 100.
• The crime rate in Wilmington is higher than in Des Moines, so you may want to exercise a little extra caution as you're acclimating to your new location. While the crime index is 67.32 in Wilmington, it is 5.0 in Des Moines. With this index, the lower the score, the better, since it indicates a city’s crime levels.
• You may want to exercise more caution as you’re getting used to your new surroundings in Wilmington. With a crime index of 32.68, Wilmington ranks lower in overall safety than Des Moines, whose index is Des Moines's 57.8. The safety index measures how safe people in a city feel about walking alone, both during the day and at night, as well as data on muggings, theft, vandalism, and other instances of petty crime.
• The air quality in Wilmington and Des Moines is generally the same (Good). Cities with good to moderate ratings have clean or acceptable air quality, with the possibility of small pollutants affecting people with certain health conditions like asthma. Anything beyond the moderate rate means increased impact on residents.

Other things to consider for your Des Moines vs. Wilmington move

• Weather: Wilmington has with hot and humid summers, cool to cold winters, and precipitation evenly spread throughout the year.
• HOA rules: Check ahead with any neighborhood or community rules on moving to ensure a smooth move.
• Elevator reservation: If your building has an elevator you'll want to check on how to reserve it for move day.
• Truck parking permits: Some cities require parking permits for large vehicles and moving trucks. Find out if you need any parking permits ahead of time.
• State licensing: Movers headquartered in Delaware that offer local and intrastate moving services don’t need to be licensed. Still, they must comply with Delaware Department of Transportation (DDOT) regulations on insurance and commercial vehicle safety. Make sure the moving company you use has a license before hiring.
• State regulator: You can verify a Delaware moving license and its status through the state's public utilities commission.
• Moving permits: Delaware does not require any moving permits, but it is helpful to check local parking restrictions before moving into the state.
• Change of address: We recommend submitting your change of address form with USPS at least a week prior to your move. You can set an official move date on the form and this way all of your mail will get properly forwarded to Wilmington. Get started here.
• Moving company insurance: Every state requires moving companies to carry different levels of insurance.Selecting Released Value Protection is a cost-effective choice, provided at no extra charge by movers, even though it offers limited coverage. Within this option, the mover's responsibility is capped at 60 cents per pound per article. If you're concerned about the value of your possessions and require more extensive coverage, consider discussing alternative options with the moving company you've chosen or explore third-party insurance providers. Ensure comprehensive protection for your belongings during the move by exploring these additional coverage choices.
• Moving checklist: Our moving checklist will help you have the peace of mind that you've got everything covered.

Where to live in Wilmington

Now that you've decided to make the move to "Chemical Capital of the World", these are the best neighborhoods to move to in Wilmington.

Helpful moving resources