Before you decide to relocate to New Hampshire, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in New Hampshire that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2018-2022 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 26 places in New Hampshire with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in New Hampshire for 2024.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In New Hampshire For 2024
What’s the most expensive place to live in New Hampshire? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Hanover is the most expensive place to live in New Hampshire.
Berlin (the cheapest place to live in New Hampshire) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about New Hampshire and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In New Hampshire For 2024
/10
Population: 8,234
Cost Of Living Index: 151
Median Income: $111,958
Average Home Price: $908,412
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.1x
More on Hanover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Hanover is 151. The median income in Hanover comes in at $111,958 and the average home value is $908,412 for 2024.
/10
Population: 10,050
Cost Of Living Index: 134
Median Income: $92,907
Average Home Price: $560,109
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.0x
More on Hampton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Hampton is 134. The median income in Hampton comes in at $92,907 and the average home value is $560,109 for 2024.
/10
Population: 22,138
Cost Of Living Index: 133
Median Income: $100,169
Average Home Price: $672,711
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.7x
More on Portsmouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Portsmouth is 133. The median income in Portsmouth comes in at $100,169 and the average home value is $672,711 for 2024.
/10
Population: 12,143
Cost Of Living Index: 128
Median Income: $113,557
Average Home Price: $527,708
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.6x
More on Londonderry: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Londonderry is 128. The median income in Londonderry comes in at $113,557 and the average home value is $527,708 for 2024.
/10
Population: 10,789
Cost Of Living Index: 128
Median Income: $93,542
Average Home Price: $616,892
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.6x
More on Durham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Durham is 128. The median income in Durham comes in at $93,542 and the average home value is $616,892 for 2024.
/10
Population: 90,943
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $88,766
Average Home Price: $437,854
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.9x
More on Nashua: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Nashua is 122. The median income in Nashua comes in at $88,766 and the average home value is $437,854 for 2024.
/10
Population: 14,515
Cost Of Living Index: 121
Median Income: $90,911
Average Home Price: $398,820
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.4x
More on Lebanon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Lebanon is 121. The median income in Lebanon comes in at $90,911 and the average home value is $398,820 for 2024.
/10
Population: 32,849
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $90,844
Average Home Price: $466,477
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.1x
More on Dover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Dover is 120. The median income in Dover comes in at $90,844 and the average home value is $466,477 for 2024.
/10
Population: 9,918
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $79,813
Average Home Price: $530,210
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.6x
More on Exeter: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Exeter is 120. The median income in Exeter comes in at $79,813 and the average home value is $530,210 for 2024.
/10
Population: 5,808
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $113,024
Average Home Price: $459,287
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.1x
More on South Hooksett: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in South Hooksett is 120. The median income in South Hooksett comes in at $113,024 and the average home value is $459,287 for 2024.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Granite State For 2024
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in New Hampshire are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in New Hampshire to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 26 places in New Hampshire that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in New Hampshire according to the data is Hanover. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in New Hampshire.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In New Hampshire For 2024
Well, there you have it, the places in New Hampshire that have the highest cost of living, with Hanover ranking as the most expensive city in the Granite State.
The most expensive cities in New Hampshire are Hanover, Hampton, Portsmouth, Londonderry, Durham, Nashua, Lebanon, Dover, Exeter, and South Hooksett.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in New Hampshire according to the data:
- Berlin
- Newport
- Franklin
For more New Hampshire reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Hampshire
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Hampshire
- Safest Places In New Hampshire
- Worst Places To Live In New Hampshire
Most Expensive Cities In New Hampshire
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanover | 151 | 8,234 | $111,958 | $908,412 | 8.1x |
| 2 | Hampton | 134 | 10,050 | $92,907 | $560,109 | 6.0x |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 133 | 22,138 | $100,169 | $672,711 | 6.7x |
| 4 | Londonderry | 128 | 12,143 | $113,557 | $527,708 | 4.6x |
| 5 | Durham | 128 | 10,789 | $93,542 | $616,892 | 6.6x |
| 6 | Nashua | 122 | 90,943 | $88,766 | $437,854 | 4.9x |
| 7 | Lebanon | 121 | 14,515 | $90,911 | $398,820 | 4.4x |
| 8 | Dover | 120 | 32,849 | $90,844 | $466,477 | 5.1x |
| 9 | Exeter | 120 | 9,918 | $79,813 | $530,210 | 6.6x |
| 10 | South Hooksett | 120 | 5,808 | $113,024 | $459,287 | 4.1x |
| 11 | Derry | 119 | 23,027 | $83,750 | $439,869 | 5.3x |
| 12 | Hudson | 119 | 7,003 | $80,901 | $470,939 | 5.8x |
| 13 | Milford | 118 | 8,530 | $71,065 | $439,699 | 6.2x |
| 14 | Hooksett | 118 | 5,268 | $83,456 | $459,819 | 5.5x |
| 15 | Concord | 117 | 44,049 | $77,874 | $379,611 | 4.9x |
| 16 | Newmarket | 117 | 5,829 | $88,295 | $475,693 | 5.4x |
| 17 | Manchester | 114 | 115,037 | $74,040 | $383,709 | 5.2x |
| 18 | Suncook | 114 | 5,235 | $72,375 | $371,259 | 5.1x |
| 19 | Keene | 113 | 22,907 | $69,381 | $303,115 | 4.4x |
| 20 | Somersworth | 113 | 11,994 | $75,841 | $380,908 | 5.0x |
| 21 | Rochester | 112 | 32,573 | $74,882 | $352,607 | 4.7x |
| 22 | Laconia | 111 | 16,898 | $67,856 | $387,698 | 5.7x |
| 23 | Claremont | 107 | 13,018 | $53,697 | $232,691 | 4.3x |
| 24 | Franklin | 107 | 8,746 | $66,942 | $319,833 | 4.8x |
| 25 | Newport | 106 | 5,228 | $67,500 | $279,094 | 4.1x |
| 26 | Berlin | 97 | 9,485 | $41,638 | $169,746 | 4.1x |