New Hampshire Living Report — July 23, 2026

For anyone considering a move to the Granite State, the numbers tell a compelling story. New Hampshire is home to just over 1.38 million residents, a relatively small population spread across 119 cities tracked by Finklick. The state’s median household income stands at $90,845 per year, well above the national average, while the poverty rate sits at a low 7.1 percent. But those statistics alone don’t capture the trade-offs that come with living here.

The housing market is where the reality check lands. The median home value in New Hampshire is $337,100, a figure that has climbed steadily over the past decade. For renters, a one-bedroom apartment costs a median of $1,336 per month. Crunching the numbers on affordability: that rent represents roughly 17.6 percent of the median household’s monthly income, which works out to about $7,570 a month. By the traditional rule of thumb that housing should not exceed 30 percent of gross income, New Hampshire’s rent burden is actually quite manageable for the median earner. However, for individuals earning less—or for single-income households—the math gets tighter, particularly in tourist-heavy areas like the Seacoast or the Lakes Region.

The job market adds a strong third layer to the picture. With an unemployment rate that remains competitive—generally hovering below the national average—the state benefits from a diversified economy that includes manufacturing, health care, education, and a growing tech sector. Remote workers have also flocked here, drawn by the lack of a state income tax and the ability to work from places like Portsmouth, Hanover, or the White Mountain foothills. The trade-off is that many

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Browse utility costs, housing data, Census demographics, and climate data for all 119 tracked cities in New Hampshire.

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Data: US Census Bureau ACS 2022, BLS. Updated July 23, 2026.

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