The means test in Delaware: median income

The Delaware median income table and the first step of the means test.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

These are the official U.S. Trustee Program medians for Delaware. If your household's yearly income is below the median for its size, you pass the first step.

1 person
$69,515
2 people
$94,877
3 people
$111,273
4 people
$132,244
Each extra person
+$11,100
Medians apply to cases filed on or after
April 1, 2026

Are you below the Delaware median?

Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Delaware. Here are the official medians:

  • 1 person$69,515
  • 2 people$94,877
  • 3 people$111,273
  • 4 people$132,244
  • Each extra person+$11,100

Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4

The numbers are worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent.

Before taxes. Add up all income for the last 6 months and divide by 6.

Enter your household size and income

Which court you file in, in Delaware

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Delaware is one district with one courthouse in Wilmington, so every Delaware filer uses the same court.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware

Divisions: One courthouse for the whole state: 824 N. Market St., 3rd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801

Clerk's phone: 302-252-2900

Court's self-help page

Delaware exemptions in brief

In Delaware you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).

Home (homestead): $200,000 of equity in your principal residence (a house, other real property, or a manufactured home you live in).

Car or other vehicle: $25,000 per debtor in a vehicle needed for work.

Wildcard (any property): $25,000 per debtor in any personal property and/or equity in real estate other than your principal residence (aggregate fair market value)

Exemptions in Delaware

In nearby states

  • Maryland: 1 person $86,928 · 2 people $114,611 · 3 people $135,949 · 4 people $166,173
  • District of Columbia: 1 person $85,391 · 2 people $161,397 · 3 people $161,397 · 4 people $166,598
  • New Jersey: 1 person $87,173 · 2 people $106,876 · 3 people $137,136 · 4 people $168,127
  • Pennsylvania: 1 person $72,230 · 2 people $87,534 · 3 people $110,151 · 4 people $135,862
  • Virginia: 1 person $78,491 · 2 people $101,171 · 3 people $123,159 · 4 people $144,826
  • Connecticut: 1 person $84,302 · 2 people $106,224 · 3 people $134,470 · 4 people $159,934

Steps for the means test in Delaware

  1. Total your income

    Collect proof of all income for the last 6 months.

  2. Do the official first step

    Your income is figured on Official Form 122A-1.

  3. When income is higher

    The second step subtracts allowed expenses on Official Form 122A-2.

  4. Where the forms go

    You file the forms in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Free help in Delaware

Questions about the means test in Delaware

How much home equity can I keep in Delaware?

$200,000 of equity in your principal residence (a house, other real property, or a manufactured home you live in)

Where do I file bankruptcy in Delaware?

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Delaware is one district with one courthouse in Wilmington, so every Delaware filer uses the same court.

What are the Delaware means test numbers?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $69,515; 2 people: $94,877; 3 people: $111,273; 4 people: $132,244; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Delaware?

Legal Services Corporation of Delaware (LSCD) – helps low-income people with Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, Delaware Legal Help Link (joint intake for DVLS, CLASI, LSCD and the state bar) and Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI).

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