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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in New Hampshire — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Manchester (index 111, rent $1,976/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
#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
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 115,474 | 111 | $1,976 | Details |
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in New Hampshire — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Manchester (index 111, rent $1,976/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Here's Manchester by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 111. Rent: $1,976/month — we had to double-check this one — . Income: $77,415/year. Home price: $427,321. Population: 115,474. The strongest category is Utilities at 102; the most expensive is Housing at 128. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $972 more per year vs. the national median. That's the kind of affordability that turns 'maybe someday' into 'next month.'
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Manchester (index 111, rent $1,976). That's more or less in line with the region. Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
What's equally notable: 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.
Bottom line: Manchester leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And as a general rule, 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.
115,474 residents · New Hampshire
In plain English: Why Manchester ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 111 on the cost index, residents save roughly 1% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,976/month while the median household pulls in $77,415/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 102, though Housing (128) lags behind. Home prices average $427,321 — $40,049 below the national median.
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.