Why Live In Delaware?

There are many great reasons to call Southern Delaware home. Here are a few of our favorites.

Significant Tax Advantages

NO State sales tax.
NO State tax on SocialSecurity income.
NO personal property taxes.
One of the lowest property tax burdens in the nation! Sussex County homeowners taxed on 50% of property's current market value based on a 1974 assessment and with no property tax increases for over 21 years, the average 2011 Sussex County property tax bill on a single-family home was only just over $100 annually. (Sussex County Government News Release May 18, 2010)
Kiplinger's PERSONAL FINANCE Magazine picks DE as one of the 10 most tax-friendly states for retirees.
Pension Exclusions: For each person 60 and over, up to $12,500 of pension and eligible retirement income are exempt from Delaware income tax.
Each qualified homeowner 65 and older in Sussex County receives a Senior Citizen Property School Tax Credit up to $500.
$110 in tax credits multiplied by the number of persons age 60 and over, plus the number of personal exemptions allowed for Federal purposes.
America's Most Wealth Friendly States: Ranked as one of the top four states (with Alaska, Nevada, and South Dakota) as being the Best States for Trusts. Major reasons: No tax on assets held in a trust, allow dynasty trusts permitting assets to pass to future generations and avoid estate taxes, seek to protect trust assets from lawsuits and creditors. SOURCE: Thetrustadvisor.com
Corporate Capital of the World: Delaware's pro-business tax and corporate laws have made it a corporate haven. As of November 2010, nearly 900,000 companies are charted as Delaware corporations. ln the last seven years over 80% of new ln¡tial Public Offerings (IPOs) have made Delaware their corporate home.

Health Care

Prestigious Beebe Medical Center: Located in Lewes, with 8 outpatient facilities-labs, HealthGrades® named Beebe Medical Center recipient of: 2010 and 2011 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence - places in Top 5% in nation for patient outcome; and 2011 best Overall Orthopedics - #1 in Delaware and #1 on Delmarva Peninsula.
Christiana Care Health System: Headquartered in Wilmington, recognized for excellence on a regional and national level, is one of the country's leading health care providers, ranking 16th in the nation for hospital admissions. It is a major teaching hospital with 2 campuses, over 240 Medical-Dental residents, and 10,000 employees. lt is home to Delaware's only Level I trauma center.
Close to Nationally Recognized Hospitals: From Rehoboth Beach under 3 hours to: National lnstitutes of Health, Bethesda, 130 miles; The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, 115 miles; and Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, 122 miles.

Great Location and Stunning Natural Resources

Location-Location-Location: Delaware is within 4-hours drive of one-third of U.S. population. From Rehoboth Beach to: Philadelphia 119 miles; Baltimore 120 miles; Washington, DC, 122 miles; Trenton 150 miles; New York City 208 miles; Richmond 224 miles.
Incredible beaches, state parks, biking and hiking trails, scenic-challenging golf, and outstanding restaurants.
Delaware Today Magazine names Lewes as the #1 Town to Live ln, Best Places to Live edition (March 2011)
Coastal Living Magazine names Lewes as one of their Dream Towns (March 2011)
Southern Living Magazine names Lewes as their Delaware Seashore Surprise (January 2011)
America's Best and Top Ten designated Delaware's Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, reconstructed in 2010, as one of the Nation's Top 5 Best Beach Boardwalks in the United States.
CBSMoneyWatch.com, June 2010, stated HomeAway®, Inc., (most trusted vacation rental website), named Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, as one of the best five "Best Vacation Home Locations", based on location-easy to get to, rent ability, high year-round rental demand, supply/demand in balance, and homes' affordability.
The Natural Resources Defense Council's "Testing the Waters 2010 - A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches" ranked Delaware beaches the nation's 2nd cleanest [tied with Oregon] of the 30 coastal and Great Lakes statessurveyed. Delaware has 26 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline, 25 miles of Delaware Bay coastline, and 115 miles of inland bay coastline.

Top Retirement Location

In addition to the tax benefits described above, Delaware is consistently named one of the top retirement locations for a variety of reasons:

TopRetirements.com, March 2011: ranked Rehoboth Beach 37th and Lewes 78th, Delaware, as the "100 Best Places To Retire"; and Delaware as one of the top five states with the lowest tax burdens.
Recommended pick by greatretirementspots.com (January, 2011).
A variety of community activities, shopping, and fitness geared toward retirees and active adults.

And More...

Homes' affordability is one reason Delaware is ranked #5 in 2010 for homeownership rate -74.7% of residents own their own homes. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census)
America's Best Colleges 2010: U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Delaware as one of the nation's top 100 colleges. UD ranked 68th.
High Per Capita Income: Bureau of Economic Analysis, March 2011, ranked Delaware 20th in highest per capita income at $39,962.
Fastest Growing States: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census, ranked Delaware the 1Oth fastest growing State, with 14.6% increase in population, comparing 2010 Census to 2000 Census % increases in population data.
AAA Rating: 2000 thru 2010 Delaware state bonds have earned triple-A ratings, the highest-quality rating awarded by major bond rating agencies (Moody's Investors Service, Standard and Poor's, Fitch Ratings).
Bicycle Friendly: The League of American Bicyclists' 2010 Bicycle Friendly States ranked Delaware as the 10th friendliest states.

PLEASE NOTE: All information presented is subject to change without notification. Also, you need to consult with a lawyer or tax advisor regarding your eligibility for any Delaware tax or other benefits.

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