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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: New Hampshire isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. 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 …
#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
Let's be honest: New Hampshire isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. 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.
The #1 spot goes to Manchester, and the breakdown explains why. It's fine. Not great, not bad. Renters here pay $1,976/month — costing renters $972 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 102, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 128. The 31% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 128 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about -28% below the national median. Manchester leads at 128. Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Now apply that to an actual budget: Here's the state-level backdrop: New Hampshire averages a 111 cost index, $1,976/mo rent, and $77,415 income across 1 cities. That's $81 more than the national rent average. No income tax in a traditionally expensive region — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| Rank | City | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 128 | 111 | $1,976 | Details |
115,474 residents · New Hampshire
The #1 spot goes to Manchester, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,976/month — costing renters $972 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 102, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 128. The 31% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
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 housing index at 128, 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.