Cost of Living in Manchester, New Hampshire
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Manchester, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 116,818
- Median household income
- $88,821
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 105.7
- Unemployment rate
- 1.9%
Is Manchester a good place to live?
Manchester is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 125 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Manchester keeps $9,138 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living6% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,629 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Manchester
Prices in the Manchester-Nashua, NH area run 6% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 34% above the US average.
- Housing34% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)2% below the US average
- Utilities34% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% above the US average
- All items6% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,629 | $19,548 |
| Food | $482 | $5,784 |
| Transportation | $381 | $4,572 |
| Healthcare | $365 | $4,380 |
| Utilities | $348 | $4,176 |
| Total before taxes | $3,205 | $38,460 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Manchester | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,537 | $1,510 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,629 | $1,657 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,131 | $2,168 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,735 | $2,583 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,850 | $2,849 |
Living in Manchester
How Manchester compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Manchester | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,821 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $413,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,705 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 52.6% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 37.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 37.7 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 24 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 14.1% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.6% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Manchester, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Manchester, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Fidium Fiber, Verizon. Fiber reaches 63.7% of homes and 98.4% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Manchester
Pros
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 1.9%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $9,138 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 125 of 178 large cities.
- No state income tax. New Hampshire doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 24 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
Cons
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 6% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
What your job keeps in Manchester
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $56,530
- Federal income tax
- −$4,604
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,325
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,548
- Everyday costs
- −$18,915
a year, or $762 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Manchester-Nashua, NH. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Manchester-Nashua, NH area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $162,090 | $83,591 |
| Mechanical engineer | $108,360 | $46,598 |
| Registered nurse | $98,600 | $39,732 |
| Project manager | $90,180 | $33,808 |
| Accountant | $83,660 | $29,222 |
| Teacher | $74,803 | $22,991 |
| Electrician | $64,080 | $15,205 |
| Auto mechanic | $59,720 | $11,702 |
| Truck driver | $58,900 | $11,043 |
| Nursing assistant | $46,400 | $999 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Manchester on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $12,972
- Civil engineer $39,810
- Data scientist $43,383
- Dental assistant $11,686
- Dental hygienist $40,949
- Dentist $94,445
- Diesel mechanic $22,348
- Financial analyst $24,938
- Firefighter $10,770
- HVAC technician $21,786
- Lawyer $58,370
- Licensed practical nurse $23,896
- Lineman $40,865
- Medical assistant $2,156
- Nurse practitioner $62,793
- Occupational therapist $29,124
- Paralegal $13,566
- Paramedic $12,779
- Pharmacist $70,543
- Pharmacy technician $1,940
- Physical therapist $42,800
- Physician assistant $67,953
- Plumber $17,987
- Police officer $22,398
- Radiologic technologist $31,607
- Respiratory therapist $36,004
- Social worker $16,017
- Speech-language pathologist $27,836
- Veterinarian $58,521
- Welder $10,730
Compare Manchester with other cities
Compare Manchester with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Manchester
3 licensed interstate movers are based in Manchester, and 15 more elsewhere in the Manchester-Nashua, NH area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Manchester, NH a good place to live?
Manchester is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 125 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $56,530 and keeps $9,138 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Manchester?
Prices in the Manchester-Nashua, NH area are 6% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,629 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,576 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Manchester?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $45,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Manchester-Nashua, NH area earns $56,530.
What is the average rent in Manchester?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,537 for a studio, $1,629 for a 1-bedroom and $2,131 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Manchester at $1,705 a month (2024).
Does Manchester have a state or city income tax?
New Hampshire has no state income tax on wages. Manchester has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Manchester?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Manchester, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Fidium Fiber, Verizon. 63.7% of homes can get fiber and 98.4% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
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, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area 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 MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate