Rank #9 · NH
New Hampshire
No income tax, no sales tax — but New Hampshire makes up for it in property tax. Boston-commuter demand from Salem to Portsmouth keeps housing prices firmly above the national average.
Cost index
114.1
Housing index
130.1
Median home
$480K
1BR rent
$1,700
Median income
$91K
Top income tax
0%
Sales tax
0%
Avg. gas
$3.20
Cost breakdown by category
All values indexed to 100 = US average.
Housing130.1
Groceries106.2
Utilities117.8
Transportation109
Healthcare118.9
Why New Hampshire is expensive
- 01Effective property-tax rate of ~1.93% — third-highest in the US.
- 02Spillover housing demand from Massachusetts cross-border buyers.
- 03Limited rental inventory in seacoast and Lakes Region towns.
- 04High electricity rates due to ISO-NE pricing exposure.
Metro snapshots
Manchester
Largest metro; median home ~$425K.
Portsmouth
Coastal premium; median home ~$695K.
Nashua
MA-commuter favorite; median home ~$510K.
More affordable alternatives in New Hampshire
BerlinClaremontFranklin
Pro tips
Surviving New Hampshire on a budget
- →Cross the border for groceries and big-ticket purchases? You already are — NH has no sales tax.
- →Town-by-town property-tax rates vary 2–3x; check before buying.
- →Net-metering still works well for residential solar.