Loading
Assembling your view…
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.
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.
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.
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). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
The broader context shifts things: State context matters: New Hampshire's 1 cities average a 111 cost index with $1,976/month — this is the part where it gets real — median rent and $77,415 household income. No income tax in a traditionally expensive region. The salary data below puts this in sharper focus.
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.
#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
Dive into Manchester's numbers: cost index 111 (1 points below national average), rent $1,976/month, income $77,415, and a home price of $427,321. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 128. With 115,474 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
| Rank | City | Median Income | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | $77,415 | 111 | $1,976 | Details |
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Manchester | 0% | 0% | 1.57% | $59,408 |
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.