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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
In plain English: Let's be honest: New Hampshire isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. That's a reasonable number. Manchester proves it with a cost index of 111, the lowest in New Hampshire, and we've ranked all 1 contenders t…
In plain English: Let's be honest: New Hampshire isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. That's a reasonable number. Manchester proves it with a cost index of 111, the lowest in New Hampshire, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
Real talk: So, Manchester. That tracks. Cost index of 111, rent at $1,976/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $77,415, which is below the national median. Fairly typical for a city this size (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes). That's not nothing.
Put it this way: Value = income ÷ cost index. The national benchmark ratio is 718. Manchester delivers 697 — -3% more purchasing power per dollar earned. This metric catches cities that expensive-but-high-paying rankings miss: a $90K salary in a city with index 80 buys more than $120K in a city with index 150.
In plain English: Worth a deeper look.
Now zoom in on the cost categories. Across New Hampshire, the average cost of living index is 111 — 1 points below the national median. Known for no income tax in a traditionally expensive region, the state offers 1 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,976/month. That's $81 more than the national average of $1,895. If you've ever felt priced out, the numbers here offer a different path.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (more on that below).
#1 Ranked: Manchester — cost index 111, rent $1,976/mo, income $77,415
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
115,474 residents · New Hampshire
Manchester is one of the cheaper options here. Moving on. Rent is $1,976/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 111. Income sits at $77,415. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is (that's pre-tax, of course). One to watch.
| Rank | City | Value Ratio | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 697 | 111 | $1,976 | Details |
Value ratio = median household income ÷ cost of living index. A higher ratio means each dollar of income buys more locally. This captures purchasing power better than looking at income or cost alone. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Manchester ranks #1 in New Hampshire for this analysis with a cost index of 111 and median income of $77,415.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Manchester is $1,976/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $81 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Manchester is $427,321, which is 5.5× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
New Hampshire has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 0%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.57%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.