State - IWPR State PAL

Data

See data by gender below. Click "Visualize data" for a breakdown by gender and race/ethnicity, where applicable.

Child Care

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Delaware	Annual Cost
Cost of Home-Based Infant Care	$10,146
Cost of Center-Based Infant Care	$14,995

Annual Cost $10,146

Annual Cost $14,995

Delaware	Share of Women's Median FTYR Earnings	Share of Men's Median FTYR Earnings	Share of All Median FTYR Earnings
Cost of Home-Based Infant Care as a Percentage of Earnings (16+)	18.4%	16.4%	16.9%
Cost of Center-Based Infant Care as a Percentage of Earnings (16+)	27.3%	24.2%	25.0%

Share of Women's Median FTYR Earnings 18.4%

Share of Men's Median FTYR Earnings 16.4%

Share of All Median FTYR Earnings 16.9%

Share of Women's Median FTYR Earnings 27.3%

Share of Men's Median FTYR Earnings 24.2%

Share of All Median FTYR Earnings 25.0%

Delaware	3-Year-Olds	4-Year-Olds
Three and Four-Year-Olds Enrolled in Pre-School	15%	22%

3-Year-Olds 15%

4-Year-Olds 22%

Sources: American Community Survey, 2023; Child Care Aware, 2023; National Institute for Early Education Research, 2023.

Single Householder

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Delaware	Single Female Headed	Single Male Headed	All Single Headed Households
Single-Headed Households in Poverty (100% Threshold)	20.6%	5.4%	17.2%
Single-Headed Households in Poverty (200% Threshold)	40.3%	17.0%	35.2%
Single-Headed Households with Children in Poverty (100% Threshold)	28.0%		24.7%
Single-Headed Households with Children in Poverty (200% Threshold)	53.1%		47.7%

Single Female Headed 20.6%

Single Male Headed 5.4%

All Single Headed Households 17.2%

Single Female Headed 40.3%

Single Male Headed 17.0%

All Single Headed Households 35.2%

Single Female Headed 28.0%

Single Male Headed

All Single Headed Households 24.7%

Single Female Headed 53.1%

Single Male Headed

All Single Headed Households 47.7%

Data Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Data shown for individuals aged 16+.

“Single householders” are male or female householders living in family households without a spouse present.

The Census uses the family’s size, number of related children, and age of the primary householder to determine the Federal Poverty Threshold.

Where no value is listed, the sample size is too small to compute an estimate. U = sample size is insufficient for the reported value to be representative of the population. Estimates should be interpreted with caution.

Work and Family

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Delaware	Women	Men	All
Parents of Young Children in the Labor Force	80.5%	92.4%	85.5%
Part-Time Status of Workers with Young Children	20.7%	5.4%	13.7%

Women 80.5%

Men 92.4%

All 85.5%

Women 20.7%

Men 5.4%

All 13.7%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Data shown for individuals aged 16+.

Labor force participation counts as either being employed or being unemployed but actively looking for a job. Part-time work is being employed but working less than 35 hours a week.

Policy

Updated July 25, 2025

Paid leave refers to compensated time off workers may need to take for various reasons, including health or caregiving purposes.

Current Policy Landscape

13 states have enacted paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws. These include California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Federal law does not guarantee paid leave to workers.

IWPR Recommendation

States should require comprehensive PFML to guarantee a minimum of 12 weeks paid leave for all workers, for a wide range of purposes. Paid leave laws should prioritize a broad and inclusive definition of family, a wage replacement rate that is high enough for workers to use the benefit, and critical job protections upon return to work.

Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions

delaware

Enacted in a previous session

Paid sick time laws guarantee workers time off for short-term illness, injury, medical treatment, or to care for the health of a loved one.

Current Policy Landscape

16 states guarantee workers the right to paid sick time. These include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. There is currently no federal right to paid sick leave for workers.

IWPR Recommendation

States should require paid sick leave policies that establish a right for all workers to earn paid sick time. Such policies should also include a guaranteed standard salary during leave and job protections upon return to work.

No Policies in Action

Refundable child tax credits—or tax credits available as a refund even if you do not owe any state taxes—can cover critical expenses related to raising a family, reduce hardship, and help alleviate poverty among women and their families.

Current Policy Landscape

17 states currently provide some families with a child tax credit in addition to the federal tax credit, though not all state’s child tax credits are refundable. These states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont.

IWPR Recommendation

States should adopt child tax credits that are refundable and income-adjusted in accordance with a state’s cost of living. State and federal child tax credits are no substitute for broader investments in the care economy and policy solutions to make affordable care available for all families.

No Policies in Action

Data

See data by gender below. Click "Visualize data" for a breakdown by gender and race/ethnicity, where applicable.

Educational Attainment

Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education an individual has completed.

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Delaware	Women	Men	All
Less than High School	7.4%	9.8%	8.5%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	28.1%	28.2%	28.2%
Some College or Associate’s Degree	27.0%	26.7%	26.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	21.7%	19.7%	20.8%
Graduate Degree	15.8%	15.5%	15.7%

Women 7.4%

Men 9.8%

All 8.5%

Women 28.1%

Men 28.2%

All 28.2%

Women 27.0%

Men 26.7%

All 26.8%

Women 21.7%

Men 19.7%

All 20.8%

Women 15.8%

Men 15.5%

All 15.7%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Data shown for individuals aged 25+.

Earnings by Educational Attainment

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Delaware	Less than HS	HS Diploma or Equivalent	Some College or Associate Degree	Bachelors Degree	Graduate Degree	All
Women's Earnings by Educational Attainment (25+)		$39,000	$50,000	$70,000	$85,000	$57,000
Men's Earnings by Educational Attainment (25+)	$40,000	$48,000	$67,000	$85,000	$120,000	$65,000
Gender Earnings Ratio by Educational Attainment (25+)		81.3%	74.6%	82.4%	70.8%	87.7%

Less than HS

HS Diploma or Equivalent $39,000

Some College or Associate Degree $50,000

Bachelors Degree $70,000

Graduate Degree $85,000

All $57,000

Less than HS $40,000

HS Diploma or Equivalent $48,000

Some College or Associate Degree $67,000

Bachelors Degree $85,000

Graduate Degree $120,000

All $65,000

Less than HS

HS Diploma or Equivalent 81.3%

Some College or AA Degree 74.6%

Bachelors Degree 82.4%

Graduate Degree 70.8%

All 87.7%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Data shown for individuals aged 25+. Earnings data are median annual values.

Policy

Updated July 25, 2025

As the costs of higher education soar, states have implemented affordability measures to create free access to community college for eligible students.

Current Policy Landscape

35 states offer tuition-free community college to eligible students.

IWPR Recommendation

States should break down barriers to educational attainment and reduce soaring higher education costs by offering free community college—including tuition, fees, and books—for all residents.

Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions

delaware

Enacted in a previous session

A student loan borrower bill of rights protects students from predatory lending practices with licensing requirements and transparency measures, and can lessen the burden of student debt.

Current Policy Landscape

15 states have implemented protections for student loan borrowers. These include California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.

IWPR Recommendation

States should extend many of the same protections that already apply to mortgage and credit card borrowers to student loan borrowers. States should also safeguard students from exorbitant interest rates, unfair fees, and the loss of records or payments, among other predatory practices.

No Policies in Action

Data

See data by gender below. Click "Visualize data" for a breakdown by gender and race/ethnicity, where applicable.

Earnings and Income

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Delaware	Women	Men	All	Earnings Ratio
Workers' Earnings (16+)	$55,000	$63,000	$60,000	87.3%
Managerial and Professional Workers’ Earnings (16+)	$72,000	$95,000	$80,000	75.8%
Retirement Income (62+)	$15,000	$23,600	$19,200	63.6%
Social Security Income (62+)	$16,300	$21,300	$18,200	76.5%

Women $55,000

Men $63,000

All $60,000

Earnings Ratio 87.3%

Women $72,000

Men $95,000

All $80,000

Earnings Ratio 75.8%

Women $15,000

Men $23,600

All $19,200

Earnings Ratio 63.6%

Women $16,300

Men $21,300

All $18,200

Earnings Ratio 76.5%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Earnings/income data are median annual values.

Earnings by Educational Attainment

Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education an individual has completed.

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Delaware	Less than HS	HS Diploma or Equivalent	Some College or Associate Degree	Bachelors Degree	Graduate Degree	All
Women's Earnings by Education		$39,000	$50,000	$70,000	$85,000	$57,000
Men's Earnings by Education	$40,000	$48,000	$67,000	$85,000	$120,000	$65,000
Gender Earnings Ratio by Education		81.3%	74.6%	82.4%	70.8%	87.7%

Less than HS

HS Diploma or Equivalent $39,000

Some College or Associate Degree $50,000

Bachelors Degree $70,000

Graduate Degree $85,000

All $57,000

Less than HS $40,000

HS Diploma or Equivalent $48,000

Some College or Associate Degree $67,000

Bachelors Degree $85,000

Graduate Degree $120,000

All $65,000

Less than HS

HS Diploma or Equivalent 81.3%

Some College or AA Degree 74.6%

Bachelors Degree 82.4%

Graduate Degree 70.8%

All 87.7%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Data shown for individuals aged 25+. Earnings/income data are median annual values.

Labor Force and Employment

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Delaware	Women	Men	All
Labor Force Participation	58.6%	65.9%	62.1%
Part-Time Workers	26.8%	16.0%	21.3%
Unemployment	2.8%	3.3%	3.0%

Women 58.6%

Men 65.9%

All 62.1%

Women 26.8%

Men 16.0%

All 21.3%

Women 2.8%

Men 3.3%

All 3.0%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Data shown for individuals aged 16+. Labor force participation counts as either being employed or being unemployed but actively looking for a job. Workers are classified as unemployed if they do not currently have a job, are looking for a job, and have not yet found one.

Living in Poverty

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Delaware	Women	Men	All
Adults in Poverty (18–64)	10.6%	7.5%	9.1%
Seniors in Poverty (65+)	7.8%	8.1%	8.0%
Working Poor (18+; 100% of Federal Poverty Threshold)	4.3%	2.7%	3.5%
Working Poor (18+; 200% of Federal Poverty Threshold)	14.3%	10.6%	12.4%

Women 10.6%

Men 7.5%

All 9.1%

Women 7.8%

Men 8.1%

All 8.0%

Women 4.3%

Men 2.7%

All 3.5%

Women 14.3%

Men 10.6%

All 12.4%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: The working poor are defined as individuals who spend at least 27 weeks in a year working full-time and have incomes below the Federal Poverty Threshold. We calculate the share of workers who earn less than 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Threshold.

Occupational Grouping

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Delaware	Women	Men	All
Employment in Managerial and Professional Jobs	50.1%	39.3%	44.6%
Employment in STEM and STEM-Related Jobs	15.2%	14.9%	15.1%
Self-Employed Workers	6.9%	9.4%	8.1%

Women 50.1%

Men 39.3%

All 44.6%

Women 15.2%

Men 14.9%

All 15.1%

Women 6.9%

Men 9.4%

All 8.1%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Data shown for individuals aged 16+. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. For more information about the classification of STEM and STEM-related jobs, see related note in the State PAL methodology table.

Policy

Updated July 25, 2025

Salary transparency laws that require employers to disclose the compensation range for job postings can help close the gender wage gap.

Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions

delaware

Enacted in a previous session

Workplace antidiscrimination laws prohibit disparate treatment of workers on the basis of sex or gender, gender identity, race, religion, family or marital status, pregnancy status, disability, or other protected class.

Current Policy Landscape

48 states have workplace antidiscrimination laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi lack comprehensive workplace antidiscrimination protections for women.

IWPR Recommendation

States should implement strong workplace antidiscrimination laws to protect all workers against employer discrimination across a broad range of protected classes, including, but not limited to, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, family or marital status, pregnancy status, age, or disability.

Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions

delaware

Enacted in a previous session

Data

See data by gender below. Click "Visualize data" for a breakdown by gender and race/ethnicity, where applicable.

Health Insurance Coverage

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Delaware	Women	Men	All
Adults with Health Insurance (19–64)	92.6%	88.3%	90.5%
Seniors with Health Insurance (65+)	99.3%	99.0%	99.2%
Medicaid Coverage (19–64)	21.5%	16.1%	18.9%
Medicaid Coverage Among Unemployed Adults (19–64)	47.5%(U)	37.2%(U)	42.1%
Uninsured Adults (19–64)	7.4%	11.7%	9.5%
Uninsured Adults of Reproductive Age (18–49)	8.4%	14.2%	11.2%
Older Uninsured Adults (50–64)	5.7%	6.3%	6.0%
Unemployed Adults who are Uninsured (19–64)	18.9%(U)	20.9%(U)	19.9%
Adults Not in the Labor Force and Uninsured (19–64)	10.3%	13.7%	11.5%

Women 92.6%

Men 88.3%

All 90.5%

Women 99.3%

Men 99.0%

All 99.2%

Women 21.5%

Men 16.1%

All 18.9%

Women 47.5%(U)

Men 37.2%(U)

All 42.1%

Women 7.4%

Men 11.7%

All 9.5%

Women 8.4%

Men 14.2%

All 11.2%

Women 5.7%

Men 6.3%

All 6.0%

Women 18.9%(U)

Men 20.9%(U)

All 19.9%

Women 10.3%

Men 13.7%

All 11.5%

Source: American Community Survey, 2023.

Notes: Workers are classified as unemployed if they do not currently have a job, are looking for a job, and have not yet found one. Workers are classified as being out of the labor force if they are neither employed nor unemployed.

Maternal and Newborn Health

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Delaware	Value
Fertility Rate (18–49; expressed per woman)	1.63
Adolescent Fertility Rate (15–19; expressed per 1000 population)	13.45
Births Financed by Medicaid	43%
Cesarean Delivery	31.51%
Preterm Births	10.42%
Low Birthweight Births	9.15%

Value 1.63

Value 13.45

Value 43%

Value 31.51%

Value 10.42%

Value 9.15%

Source: Natality Records 2016-2023 on CDC WONDER Online Database.

Notes: Data are reported for 2023. Preterm is less than 37 weeks completed gestation. Low birthweight is less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces).

Where no value is listed, the value does not meet the requirements for confidentiality constraints.

Maternal and Infant Mortality

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Delaware	Value
Number of Maternal Deaths	9
Maternal Mortality Rate (expressed per 100,000 live births)
Infant Mortality Rate (expressed per 1,000 live births)	7.49

Value 9

Value

Value 7.49

Sources: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Vital Statistics Center; Linked Birth/Infant Death Records 2017-2022 on CDC WONDER Online Database.

Notes: Data on maternal deaths and maternal mortality rates are reported for 2018–2022. Data on Infant mortality rates are reported for 2022.

Where no value is listed, the value does not meet the requirements for confidentiality constraints; U = these estimates do not meet the NCHS standard of reliability or precision.

Title X Family Planning Program

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Delaware	Women	Men
Number of Title X Family Planning Users	5,373	1,750

Women 5,373

Men 1,750

Delaware	Value
Number of Title X Facilities	59
Title X Funding	$1,133,730

Value 59

Value $1,133,730

Source: Office of Population Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, 2024.

Notes: Data are reported for 2023.

Abortion

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Delaware	Cost
Self-Pay Cost of Medication Abortion	$269
Self-Pay Cost of First Trimester Procedural Abortion	$500
Self-Pay Cost of Second Trimester Procedural Abortion	$750

Cost $269

Cost $500

Cost $750

Source: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, University of California San Francisco, 2024.

Notes: Data are reported for 2023. Self-pay cost is defined as paying for medical expenses without the use of health insurance.

No value listed indicates missing data; # indicates no facilities were providing these procedural abortion services; ~indicates no facilities were open and providing abortion services.

Policy

Updated July 25, 2025

States can amend statute or the state constitution to codify the right to reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy.

Current Policy Landscape

24 states have enshrined reproductive health care in statute or in the state constitution, though the scope of protected care, exceptions, and limitations vary by state. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, there is no federal right to abortion care.

IWPR Recommendation

States should guarantee individuals the right to reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, covering a broad array of care, including, but not limited to, abortion, contraception, infertility treatment, and gender-affirming care. Access to reproductive freedom should not vary by zip code.

Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions

delaware

Enacted in a previous session

Introduced

Passed by 1 Chamber

Signed into Law

Passed by 1 Chamber

SB5

Interstate shield laws protect providers of reproductive health care and gender-affirming care who serve patients who traveled to other states for care from legal consequences due to hostile laws in the patient's home state.

Current Policy Landscape

19 states have enacted interstate shield laws; some states have additional shield laws pertaining to telemedicine.

IWPR Recommendation

States should implement interstate shield laws to protect providers who offer a broad range of reproductive health care and gender-affirming care to patients who travel, or via telemedicine, from prosecution by other states enforcing their own restrictions.

Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions

delaware

Enacted in a previous session

Data privacy laws can protect patient and provider confidentiality by restricting hostile digital surveillance and geofencing related to reproductive health data.

Current Policy Landscape

5 states strengthened data privacy protections to prohibit geofencing within a certain radius of health care facilities, protecting patient and provider data. This includes Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, New York, and Washington.

IWPR Recommendation

States should expressly prohibit geofencing near health care facilities and the sale of health care data to ensure the personal data of patients, providers, and helpers are not vulnerable to hostile entities.

Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions

delaware

Introduced

Passed by 1 Chamber

Signed into Law

Introduced

SB55

Delaware Key Facts

$82,000 Median Household Income

$1,340 Median Monthly Housing Costs

0.4557 Gini Coefficient of Income Inequality

$15.00 Hourly Minimum Wage

Delaware Female Population Breakdown

529,227 Total Female Population

22.8% Aged 65 and older

11.9% With a disability (ages 18-64)

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