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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while New Hampshire trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Manchester at index 111 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving New Hampshire.
#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
Premium market, smart picks: while New Hampshire trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Manchester at index 111 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving New Hampshire.
Manchester is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,976/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 111. Income sits at $77,415. Fairly typical for a city this size.
That's the upside. Here's the tension: The 1 cities we track in New Hampshire paint a surprisingly balanced picture. Average cost index: 111. Median rent: $1,976/month. Household income: $77,415. New Hampshire is known for no income tax in a traditionally expensive region — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
Bottom line: Manchester leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers. I'll say what the data can't: this city punches above its weight in ways that don't show up in a spreadsheet. There's a reason people who move here tend to stay. You can call it quality of life, you can call it vibes, whatever — the point is, the cost structure gives people room to actually enjoy where they live, and that's increasingly rare in this country.
| Rank | City | Food & Groceries Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 109 | 111 | $1,976 | Details |
115,474 residents · New Hampshire
So, Manchester. 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.
Manchester ranks #1 in New Hampshire for this analysis with a cost index of 111 and median income of $77,415.
Manchester, NH has the lowest food & groceries index at 109, compared to the national average of 100.
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.