Back-to-school shopping: Is it worth the trip to Delaware for Philly, NJ parents?
CEDAR PARK, TEXAS - JUNE 22: School supplies are displayed on shelves at a Target store on June 22, 2026 in Cedar Park, Texas. Retail giants including Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Office Depot have launched their back-to-school sales earlier than usu
PHILADELPHIA - For Philadelphia and South Jersey families, mastering the back-to-school shopping budget may mean crossing state lines.
By the numbers:
Unlike other parts of the country, Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents enjoy the year-round perk of everyday clothing and footwear that is exempt from state sales tax.
However, when it comes to the rest of the back-to-school list, such as laptops, calculators, and bulk school supplies, local taxes can take a serious bite out of your budget. In Philadelphia, those items are hit with a combined 8% state and local sales tax. In New Jersey, you'll pay 6.625%.
New Jersey also permanently repealed its annual back-to-school sales tax holiday in 2024, which means the real financial relief lies with Delaware's no sales tax policy.
New Jersey cancels back-to-school tax holiday after just 2 years
The back-to-school season will now be even more expensive for parents and teachers in New Jersey.
Shopping strategy
What you can do:
To maximize savings without wasting money on gas and tolls, parents should split up their back-to-school supplies list.
Delaware famously has a 0% sales tax on everything, all year long. So, when it comes time to buy a laptop, graphing calculator, and a cart full of notebooks, binders, and pens, it may be best to head south. Christiana Mall in Newark, has become a hot spot for tax-free back-to-school shopping.
By making a single strategic trip to Delaware for your electronics and bulk supplies, a family could save upwards of $100 to $150 in taxes alone, making up for the cost of the drive.
However, since Pennsylvania and New Jersey already exempt clothing and footwear year-round, there's no benefit to crossing state lines for a clothing haul. Instead, buy your children’s wardrobes locally.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the PA Department of Revenue, NJ Division of Taxation and Federation of Tax Administrators.