Best places to live in New Hampshire
CityLedger tracks 1 New Hampshire metro, led by Manchester. Every figure below is computed from public U.S. government data and links to a full profile.
CityLedger tracks one metro in New Hampshire: the Manchester-Nashua, NH Metro Area, anchored by Manchester with a population around 430,462. Its median household income is $106,013 and median rent runs $1,714 a month — the figures everything below is built from, each linked to its public source.
Manchester is the standout for affordability: it carries New Hampshire's lowest overall price level (about 106 against a U.S. average of 100) and, because pay holds up against those low costs, also the state's highest cost-adjusted income — about $100,337, the clearest sign of where a paycheck stretches furthest.
Taxes shift the picture in ways a cost-of-living index alone misses: New Hampshire has no state income tax, a real boost to take-home pay versus most states, and combined state and local sales tax averages about 0.0% (Tax Foundation). Our salary calculator folds federal, FICA, and New Hampshire state tax into a single take-home figure for any metro here.
Manchester earns the state's highest CityLedger livability score, 80/100; Manchester is the fastest-growing, up 3.2% over the latest population estimate; Manchester carries the lowest natural-hazard loss rate, about $12 per $10,000 of property (FEMA). Open any metro below for the full, sourced breakdown behind these figures.
| Metro | Livability | Cost of living | Median income | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester, NH | 80 | 106 | $106,013 | $1,714/mo |
Browse every metro on the cities index or the rankings.
Living in New Hampshire — frequently asked
- What is the most affordable metro in New Hampshire?
- By overall price level, Manchester is the most affordable metro in New Hampshire, at about 106 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA Regional Price Parities). Affordability also depends on local pay — see where a paycheck stretches furthest below.
- Where does a paycheck go furthest in New Hampshire?
- Manchester has the highest cost-adjusted income in New Hampshire — a median of about $100,337 once local prices are factored in, meaning typical pay buys the most there.
- Does New Hampshire have a state income tax?
- No. New Hampshire has no state income tax, which raises take-home pay versus most states, though combined state and local sales tax still averages about 0.0%.
- Which New Hampshire metro has the highest livability score?
- Manchester, at 80/100 on CityLedger's livability score — a transparent blend of affordability, jobs, income, education, and commute, all from public data.