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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 115, the lowest in New Hampshire, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive …
115,474 residents · New Hampshire
Why Manchester ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 115 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 4% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,976/month while the median household pulls in $77,415/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 103, though Housing (115) lags behind. Home prices average $427,321 — $40,049 below the national median.
#1 Ranked: Manchester — cost index 115, rent $1,976/mo, income $77,415
1 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | $1,976 | 24% | 115 | Details |
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 115, the lowest in New Hampshire, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Dive into Manchester's numbers: cost index 115 (4 points above national average), rent $1,976/month, income $77,415, and a home price of $427,321. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 103, while Housing runs 115. With 115,474 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
On a $100K salary, the key number is $2,500/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Manchester ($1,976/mo, 24%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $75,297 to $75,297/year across these top picks.
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.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Manchester | 0% | 0% | 1.57% | $75,297 |
We model what a $100K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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 115 and median income of $77,415.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Manchester, rent would consume about 24% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
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.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 0% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Manchester is approximately $75,297/year ($6,275/month). After median rent of $1,976/month, you'd have roughly $51,585/year for all other expenses.
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.