Despite ongoing criticism of high electricity costs, Delaware ranks 33rd in total energy bills, according to the WalletHub financial advice site.
Delaware’s ranking is aided by low gasoline costs aided and one of the nation’s lower gas taxes.
In other categories, such as electricity and natural gas costs, Delaware ranks in the middle of the pack among the 50 states.
Interestingly enough, three energy-rich states, Wyoming, Alaska, and North Dakota, ranked in the top three in energy costs.
Wide open spaces and cold winters contribute to high gasoline and utility bills in the three states.
Two other energy-rich states, Texas and New Mexico, rank at the bottom of the list with the lowest costs.
Washington, D.C., has the lowest energy costs, due to limited use of motor vehicles and lower electric bills.
Click here for the full report.
Delaware 42nd in jobless claims
In another WalletHub report, Delaware ranked near the bottom in unemployment claims in late June.
Based on the number of claims per 100,000 residents, the First State ranked 42nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
While Delaware continues to have one of the nation’s highest jobless rates, 48th as of May, there have not been any major layoffs.
Click here for the full findings.
Delaware ninth in used car prices and annual cost
A report from QuoteWizard, a part of Lending Tree has Delaware ranking ninth in the cost of buying and paying insurance premiums for used cars.
The insurance quote comparison site said the average cost of used car ownership per year in the First State is $4,474.
| State | Average used car price | Average used car price per year | Average car insurance price per year | Average cost of used car ownership per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $23,348 | $2,780 | $3,815 | $6,594 |
| Nevada | $25,317 | $3,014 | $2,371 | $5,384 |
| Louisiana | $24,979 | $2,974 | $2,363 | $5,337 |
| New York | $25,693 | $3,059 | $2,203 | $5,262 |
| Rhode Island | $24,962 | $2,972 | $2,270 | $5,242 |
| Oregon | $24,649 | $2,934 | $2,216 | $5,150 |
| Florida | $25,478 | $3,033 | $2,029 | $5,062 |
| Alaska | $29,656 | $3,530 | $1,279 | $4,809 |
| Delaware | $23,469 | $2,794 | $1,961 | $4,754 |
| Colorado | $24,684 | $2,939 | $1,779 | $4,718 |
| Massachusetts | $24,491 | $2,916 | $1,785 | $4,701 |
Royal Farms on list of Top 10 gas stations
Say it ain’t so.
Wawa did not make a top 10 list of gas stations where you can fill up that used car, according to a reader poll from USA Today. The chain typically makes most top 10 lists in this category.
Rival Royal Farms took fourth place. Midwest chain Kwik Trip (not to be confused with Oklahoma-based Quik Trip) coming in first. In areas where Kwik Trip bumps into Quik Trip, the name is changed to Kwik Star.
Quik Trip finished ninth, with Wawa rival Sheetz coming in seventh. Sheetz is building a station-convenience store near the Delaware line in Elkton, MD.
A summary of the listing mentioned food offerings and clean restrooms as factors in the rankings, but for some reason, Wawa’s coffee and hoagies were not enough to get it into the top 10.
Wawa generallly ranks in the top 10 in most categories related to convenience stores and gas stations. One factor that should have been listed in the reader poll is whether areas around gas pumps are regularly maintained.
Click here for the top 10 list.
