With plenty of people visiting family in Delaware throughout the year, you might notice that outsiders will start to enjoy our tiny state, and they may point out how full of secrets the First State really is. Well, when they begin to talk about moving to Delaware, you can send them away from our already-crowded slice of paradise by sharing the list below, which highlights all of the bad things about living in Delaware.

  1. Everything is in the middle of nowhere.

Flickr / wyliepoon For being in the northeast, Delaware is just a bunch of chicken farms and tiny towns. It’s not well connected to the rest of the northeast at all. In fact, it might as well be an entire world away from Philly, Baltimore, and DC, right?

  1. Actually, forget that. It’s way too urban.

Flickr / University of Delaware Come on - Wilmington, New Castle, Newark? I can see them all from the highway - too much city life here for me.

  1. Plus, Wilmington is too dangerous.

Flickr / TC Davis All of it. Every part of Wilmington is dangerous, don’t go there. No matter what cool speakeasy or park you read about - it’s all a trap. Don’t move to Delaware, you’ll end up in a bad part of Wilmington. After all, the state is so tiny that it’s impossible to avoid.

  1. Delaware seafood just can’t hold up to Maryland’s.

Flickr / Jeremy Cherfas Sure, it’s cheaper and often fresher, and gets shipped around the country to some of the best restaurants, but Maryland’s got the market cornered on “Too Much Old Bay.”

  1. The beaches? Forget it - they’re WAY too crowded.

Flickr / Pong All the time - after all, millions of New Yorkers, New Jersians, and Pennsylvanians make their way to Delaware’s beaches every year, and what do they know?

  1. Especially Rehoboth Beach - it’s touristy and corporate.

Flickr / Jason Mews in DC If you’re a summer sellout, I guess you might like Rehoboth. Otherwise, steer clear. The Downtown will suck you in!

  1. You’re not missing much - the entire state is highway, anyway.

Flickr / Pontla That 14 miles from The Delaware Memorial Bridge until you pay the toll into Easton, well, there’s nothing really more to the state than that stretch of I-95.

  1. There’s really nothing to do here - the whole state’s flat.

Flickr / Jenni C. No hills, no canyons, nothing at all to see or do. Maybe you’d like Delaware if you only like watching TV or sleeping.

  1. Oh, and fine dining? Good luck finding anything other than a chain restaurant here.

Yelp / Kimberly T. There are hardly any mom-and-pop or hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the entire state! I’ll tell you one thing — you certainly won’t stumble upon amazing seafood in the middle of a cornfield in this weird, boring state.

  1. You won’t even find a nice spot to hike in Delaware, no matter how hard you look.

Flickr / Likeaduck Delaware’s state parks are boring - you might as well fall asleep as you trek through them. There aren’t amazing historic landmarks, old farms, and gorgeous trails to check out. It’s really just, well, flat roads. There’s certainly no reason to move to Delaware if you’re a nature-lover.

  1. Dover’s really only good for NASCAR races, anyway.

Firefly Music Festival/Facebook Sure, people love their NASCAR races, but beyond race weekends, there’s nothing cool going on in the capital city. Firefly? That’s just a little local concert.

  1. Delaware’s government makes everything difficult - even surf fishing.

Lee Cannon/flickr You’ll have to go through all sorts of trouble to get a surf fishing permit, which totally isn’t worth it. It’s not like the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean have some of the most amazing surf fishing spots on the eastern seaboard - you won’t regret missing these unbelievable surf fishing spots. The one-page application is just a lot, and I get that.

  1. Plus, everything in the state is REALLY old.

Flickr / Jeffrey I guess that comes with being the First State, but who would want to move to Delaware if all the historic ruins from World War II and American Colonialism are still there, taking up valuable space?

  1. And everything’s not just old, it’s all haunted.

Photo Credit The Ghosts of Fort Delaware in particular scare me - former Confederate soldiers, seeking to haunt those who imprisoned them? I’ll stay away, thanks.

So there you have it – the reasons not to live in Delaware, which you can share with everyone you meet, ensuring they stay far away from the First State, and certainly convince them not to move to Delaware. Some people are stubborn, though, and they’ve fallen for the charm that the diamond state showed them, so if you can’t convince your friends and family to stay away by highlighting the bad things about living in Delaware, you might as well acquaint them with the struggles of living in Delaware, which are sure to convince them that moving to Delaware just isn’t for them.

Flickr / wyliepoon

For being in the northeast, Delaware is just a bunch of chicken farms and tiny towns. It’s not well connected to the rest of the northeast at all. In fact, it might as well be an entire world away from Philly, Baltimore, and DC, right?

Flickr / University of Delaware

Come on - Wilmington, New Castle, Newark? I can see them all from the highway - too much city life here for me.

Flickr / TC Davis

All of it. Every part of Wilmington is dangerous, don’t go there. No matter what cool speakeasy or park you read about - it’s all a trap. Don’t move to Delaware, you’ll end up in a bad part of Wilmington. After all, the state is so tiny that it’s impossible to avoid.

Flickr / Jeremy Cherfas

Sure, it’s cheaper and often fresher, and gets shipped around the country to some of the best restaurants, but Maryland’s got the market cornered on “Too Much Old Bay.”

Flickr / Pong

All the time - after all, millions of New Yorkers, New Jersians, and Pennsylvanians make their way to Delaware’s beaches every year, and what do they know?

Flickr / Jason Mews in DC

If you’re a summer sellout, I guess you might like Rehoboth. Otherwise, steer clear. The Downtown will suck you in!

Flickr / Pontla

That 14 miles from The Delaware Memorial Bridge until you pay the toll into Easton, well, there’s nothing really more to the state than that stretch of I-95.

Flickr / Jenni C.

No hills, no canyons, nothing at all to see or do. Maybe you’d like Delaware if you only like watching TV or sleeping.

Yelp / Kimberly T.

There are hardly any mom-and-pop or hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the entire state! I’ll tell you one thing — you certainly won’t stumble upon amazing seafood in the middle of a cornfield in this weird, boring state.

Flickr / Likeaduck

Delaware’s state parks are boring - you might as well fall asleep as you trek through them. There aren’t amazing historic landmarks, old farms, and gorgeous trails to check out. It’s really just, well, flat roads. There’s certainly no reason to move to Delaware if you’re a nature-lover.

Firefly Music Festival/Facebook

Sure, people love their NASCAR races, but beyond race weekends, there’s nothing cool going on in the capital city. Firefly? That’s just a little local concert.

Lee Cannon/flickr

You’ll have to go through all sorts of trouble to get a surf fishing permit, which totally isn’t worth it. It’s not like the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean have some of the most amazing surf fishing spots on the eastern seaboard - you won’t regret missing these unbelievable surf fishing spots. The one-page application is just a lot, and I get that.

Flickr / Jeffrey

I guess that comes with being the First State, but who would want to move to Delaware if all the historic ruins from World War II and American Colonialism are still there, taking up valuable space?

Photo Credit

The Ghosts of Fort Delaware in particular scare me - former Confederate soldiers, seeking to haunt those who imprisoned them? I’ll stay away, thanks.

Well, what do you think? Overall, is Delaware a good place to live? What would you say are reasons not to live in Delaware? Tell us!

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Bad Things About Living In Delaware July 27, 2022 Daniella DiRienzo What are the best things about living in Delaware? There are so many great things about living in Delaware. For starters, there’s no sales tax! That’s right; Delaware is one of just a handful of states that imposes zero sales tax. An absence of sales tax isn’t the only financial perk afforded to residents of the First State. There are actually a few other tax advantages for those residing in the First State. Not only does Delaware boast one of the nation’s lowest real estate tax rates, but residents enjoy relatively low income tax rates. What unique words and phrases do people in Delaware say? Just like any other place, residents of Delaware use words and phrases unique to the state, such as Delunaware, which is an adjective used to describe someone who is unaware of the existence of Delaware. Toad choker and frog strangler are two more phrases unique to Delaware. Don’t worry, though. They’re not a literal phrases. Both toad choker and frog strangler mean a heavy downpour or bad rainstorm. What are the most beautiful places in Delaware? There seems to be no shortage of beautiful places in Delaware. One stunning spot that you don’t want to overlook is the First State National Historical Park. Not your typical park, this Delaware gem boasts a plethora of historically significant structures, including many colonial landmarks. There’s more to the park than historic sites, though. The grounds, which are situated near the Brandywine River, are brimming with natural beauty, too.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Bad Things About Living In Delaware

July 27, 2022

Daniella DiRienzo

What are the best things about living in Delaware? There are so many great things about living in Delaware. For starters, there’s no sales tax! That’s right; Delaware is one of just a handful of states that imposes zero sales tax. An absence of sales tax isn’t the only financial perk afforded to residents of the First State. There are actually a few other tax advantages for those residing in the First State. Not only does Delaware boast one of the nation’s lowest real estate tax rates, but residents enjoy relatively low income tax rates. What unique words and phrases do people in Delaware say? Just like any other place, residents of Delaware use words and phrases unique to the state, such as Delunaware, which is an adjective used to describe someone who is unaware of the existence of Delaware. Toad choker and frog strangler are two more phrases unique to Delaware. Don’t worry, though. They’re not a literal phrases. Both toad choker and frog strangler mean a heavy downpour or bad rainstorm. What are the most beautiful places in Delaware? There seems to be no shortage of beautiful places in Delaware. One stunning spot that you don’t want to overlook is the First State National Historical Park. Not your typical park, this Delaware gem boasts a plethora of historically significant structures, including many colonial landmarks. There’s more to the park than historic sites, though. The grounds, which are situated near the Brandywine River, are brimming with natural beauty, too.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

There are so many great things about living in Delaware. For starters, there’s no sales tax! That’s right; Delaware is one of just a handful of states that imposes zero sales tax. An absence of sales tax isn’t the only financial perk afforded to residents of the First State. There are actually a few other tax advantages for those residing in the First State. Not only does Delaware boast one of the nation’s lowest real estate tax rates, but residents enjoy relatively low income tax rates.

What unique words and phrases do people in Delaware say?

Just like any other place, residents of Delaware use words and phrases unique to the state, such as Delunaware, which is an adjective used to describe someone who is unaware of the existence of Delaware. Toad choker and frog strangler are two more phrases unique to Delaware. Don’t worry, though. They’re not a literal phrases. Both toad choker and frog strangler mean a heavy downpour or bad rainstorm.

What are the most beautiful places in Delaware?

There seems to be no shortage of beautiful places in Delaware. One stunning spot that you don’t want to overlook is the First State National Historical Park. Not your typical park, this Delaware gem boasts a plethora of historically significant structures, including many colonial landmarks. There’s more to the park than historic sites, though. The grounds, which are situated near the Brandywine River, are brimming with natural beauty, too.