Cost of Living in New Hampshire
What it costs to live in New Hampshire, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 1,409,032
- Median household income
- $99,782
- State income tax
- None
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 104.2
What a typical paycheck keeps in New Hampshire
The typical New Hampshire worker earns $55,880 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,385 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $55,880
- Federal income tax
- −$4,526
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,275
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$18,672
- Everyday costs
- −$19,022
a year, or $782 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across New Hampshire.
Cost of living in New Hampshire
Prices across New Hampshire run 4% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing15% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)1% below the US average
- Utilities34% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% above the US average
- All items4% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,556 | $18,672 |
| Food | $487 | $5,844 |
| Transportation | $385 | $4,620 |
| Healthcare | $366 | $4,392 |
| Utilities | $348 | $4,176 |
| Total before taxes | $3,142 | $37,704 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
New Hampshire taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
New Hampshire doesn’t tax wages.
No tax on wages; the interest and dividends tax was repealed from 2025.
Taxes on the median household income
$99,782 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$13,122 |
| Payroll taxes | −$7,633 |
| State income tax | $0 |
| Effective tax rate | 20.8% |
Cities in New Hampshire
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each New Hampshire city we cover.
What common jobs keep in New Hampshire
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $177,480 | $94,880 |
| Physician assistant | $150,960 | $76,754 |
| Pharmacist | $143,020 | $71,326 |
| Software engineer | $139,720 | $69,070 |
| Nurse practitioner | $137,550 | $67,587 |
| Veterinarian | $128,190 | $61,189 |
| Lawyer | $120,810 | $56,126 |
| Mechanical engineer | $103,660 | $44,061 |
| Lineman | $102,170 | $43,013 |
| Dental hygienist | $101,250 | $42,365 |
| Data scientist | $100,620 | $41,923 |
| Physical therapist | $99,850 | $41,380 |
| Registered nurse | $99,700 | $41,275 |
| Civil engineer | $98,710 | $40,579 |
| Respiratory therapist | $95,940 | $38,630 |
Salary pages in New Hampshire, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in New Hampshire
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $361,300 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $176,540 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $172,240 |
| Physician Assistants | $150,960 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $146,590 |
| Managers, All Other | $145,630 |
| Financial Managers | $144,730 |
| Marketing Managers | $143,280 |
| Pharmacists | $143,020 |
| Sales Managers | $141,900 |
| Software Developers | $139,720 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $137,550 |
| Electrical Engineers | $135,710 |
| Human Resources Managers | $135,000 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $130,410 |
Living in New Hampshire
New Hampshire against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | New Hampshire | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $458,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,558 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 7.2% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 41.5% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 27.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 16% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare New Hampshire with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in New Hampshire?
Prices in New Hampshire are 4% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,556 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,585 a month.
Does New Hampshire have a state income tax?
No. New Hampshire doesn't tax wages. Workers still pay federal income tax and payroll taxes.
How much do you need to earn to live in New Hampshire?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $44,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in New Hampshire earns $55,880 and keeps $9,385 after those costs.
Where in New Hampshire does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the New Hampshire cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Manchester ($9,138 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Nashua ($6,474).
What jobs pay the most in New Hampshire?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in New Hampshire goes to Physicians, All Other ($361,300); Computer and Information Systems Managers ($176,540); Architectural and Engineering Managers ($172,240) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate