Cost of Living in New Hampshire

[Brendin87]

Mainly wondering what the average cost of an apartment, electric, ect. Any other expenses.

Gas is obviously cheaper thus making transportation cheaper ect.

Preferably Southern, outside of any "city".

Availability of jobs is also a concern.

Thanks for any info.

[tsorfas]

I dont have much info to offer but more specific where in NH? it is a big state

[RandyO]

you want cheap, move to Berlin and get a job at the prison

[Not Sure]

you want cheap, move to Berlin and get a job at the prison

Or even cheaper, go to prison in Berlin.

[breakdirt916]

Can't like this post on mobile, but we have a winner!! ^^^^

[Brendin87]

I dont have much info to offer but more specific where in NH? it is a big state

Honestly doesn't matter. My job is pretty flexible. I can live anywhere in the northeast. The reason I ask about an area with job potential, is for the "wife".

[jasnmar]

What kind of work does the wife do?

[DucDave]

Litchfield, Derry, Londonderry, Hudson, Merrimack, Amherst, Mt Vernon....to name a few

[Pigman]

I was a Mass resident and now NH....and NH is definatily cheaper. Ins, car/bike reg is nothing and all of 1/4 mile away from my house. No sales tax or excise tax either. You can buy guns, beer and fire works on your way home too. Register your dirt bikes and ride with no hassle NUFF SAID............ LOLOLOL

[SRTie4k]

Definitely not Keene.

[RandyO]

you want cheap, move to Berlin and get a job at the prison

Berlin does have Jericho Park and 35° below zero winter

[nhbubba]

Such a wide range. This is dated info, but I was paying $1100/mo plus parking and utilities for a 1 br apartment in Nashua. I moved in with my (now) ex in Dover and we split a 2 br 2 bath with a private deck and as much parking as I could handle in Dover for $600/mo, heat included.

[PhilB]

Unemployment in NH is among the lowest of any state, so job prospects are pretty good for most things, although of course it depends on what she does.

Cost of living varies, even the property taxes (which get figured into rents as well) vary a lot from town to town. But if you look around, you can find places that are inexpensive and still nice. It's a little tiny state, so everything is pretty close to everything else. If you don't mind driving a bit, that gives you a lot more flexibility. My wife and I ended up in Pittsfield, one of the many small towns more-or-less between Concord and Portsmouth. We're about 20 min from Concord, 45 min from Manchester or Portsmouth, 90 min from Boston -- so most everything is within easy reach, yet land and houses are pretty cheap. I've been working in Hudson and/or Merrimack, so that's 40 or 50 miles commute -- a bit more than is ideal, but workable.

It depends somewhat on what you're used to. In general, the cost of living is less than MA or NY, but more than OK or GA. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than San Diego, I can tell you that.

PhilB

[RandyO]

I dont have much info to offer but more specific where in NH? it is a big state

I guess, if you are comparing to Rhode Island or Delaware

[JettaJayGLS]

It sure as hell is a whole lot cheaper than Boston. God damn.

[RandyO]

The further north you go, the cheaper it is in general, but fewer jobs other than service or chopping wood

[Garandman]

//My wife and I ended up in Pittsfield, one of the many small towns more-or-less between Concord and Portsmouth. We're about 20 min from Concord, 45 min from Manchester or Portsmouth, 90 min from Boston //

Yeah, at 4am, maybe....

The further north you go, the cheaper it is in general, but fewer jobs other than service or chopping wood

There is year-round manufacturing employment in the area around Newport and a mini high-tech belt in West Leb, mostly Dartmouth spinoffs. Otherwise, a lot of wood lots....

[Stoneman]

...90 min from Boston

Yeah, at 4am, maybe...

His general estimation is actually pretty accurate unless you're hitting it at peak times. We've hit the Fenway area from Barnstead in about an hour and a half, NOT including searching for parking...

[jasnmar]

Agreed, 90 minutes off peak. If you are talking during "commuting time" that changes significantly, however.

If I have to be in Waltham for 8:00, I leave before 5:30. I'm usually there a little after 7. If I wait until 6:00 to leave, there's no way I'm making an 8:00 reliably (I might make it, but I better not count on it).

[PhilB]

... My wife and I ended up in Pittsfield, one of the many small towns more-or-less between Concord and Portsmouth. We're about 20 min from Concord, 45 min from Manchester or Portsmouth, 90 min from Boston ...

Yeah, at 4am, maybe. ...

<shrug> I guess it depends on how you drive, and I admit I still tend to drive assertively like a Californian. But at pretty much any time except rush hours, that's what it normally takes me, on the bike or in the Mini, to Boston proper or to Cambridge.

PhilB

[nhbubba]

...I still tend to drive assertively like a Californian.

You definitely ride that way. It's awesome!

Or maybe I mean brave.

[Brendin87]

All good info guys! Thank you!

Litchfield, Derry, Londonderry, Hudson, Merrimack, Amherst, Mt Vernon....to name a few

This actually helps quite a bit. Thanks

She has a background in nutrition and administrative work.

We both came from a 30-45 min drive to any store. Where we live now is 5 min from EVERYTHING.

[MHenry600]

I've lived 10min North of Concord for just about 3 years now. I grew up in Western MA, about 20min west of Springfield in Southwick. I like this area because you can reach a lot of parts of the state in an hour or less, but it's still a small town quiet setting. Cannon Mtn, Hampton Beach, VT border, just about into Boston (not at rush hour as mentioned above), all an hour.

My commute now is to the Eastern edge of Nashua. I have three ways of getting there, all 55-60min and 90 miles round trip. Starting a new job in Laconia on Monday that will be 35 minutes (can't wait).

For costs, you can rent a pretty nice house anywhere from about 1300-1800/month in the Concord area depending on how big, where, and whether you want a yard (obviously). Rent can be about 1100-1200 for something like a 2br, up/down townhouse in Concord, or if you want to go small you can find 1br places for anywhere down to about 600-700/month (usually not very nice).

If you are looking to buy, NH houses tend to be a little cheaper sell price, but some towns have a pretty high tax rate. From one town the one right next to it, it can vary pretty big too, so that's worth looking at when considering it.

No income tax.
No sales tax.
No excise tax on vehicles, but they get you in the registration. Example: Instead of having a $40 Reg + $200 for excise, it's just $240 for Reg. It's not necessarily the exact same cost between the two, but hopefully you get the idea.


For work, Lebanon has a good amount of tech places, Manchester has lots of smaller tech type companies, and out near Rochester/Portsmouth, there is a good amount of manufacturing picking up. The Nashua area has some manufacturing too. For nutrition type stuff, I would think Concord or Portsmouth area, but that's not really my forte. There are really lots of companies spread through NH where you might not expect to find them, so you really just need to start looking in a specific field and see what's posted to get a good feeling.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.

[nhbubba]

What you're paying in NH reg "fees" is partly tax. I always forget what it is called out as, something cryptic. But the tax portion is deductible.

From what I've seen it is significantly lower than the MA excise tax though.

Several of my motorcycles cost less than $30/yr to register. The tax on those is tiny.

[RandyO]

Yeah, at 4am, maybe....

There is year-round manufacturing employment in the area around Newport and a mini high-tech belt in West Leb, mostly Dartmouth spinoffs. Otherwise, a lot of wood lots....

both of those locations are still in the southern half of the state. Lebanon/Hanover is about midway between Mass. and Canada,