Ultimate Guide to Living in New Hampshire

So, you’re curious about living in New Hampshire? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

The expert movers, travelers, and worldwide locals that make up the team at Relocalate.com are here to help.

We’ve compiled the ultimate guides to answer the most common questions people just like you have about living in the great state of New Hampshire.

Dive deep into the topics you’re interested in to make sure your new home in New Hampshire matches what you’re looking for.

We’ll explore whether New Hampshire is a good place for YOU to live, and we’ll highlight some of the best cities for you to visit, explore, and ultimately call home.

Pros and Cons of Living in New Hampshire

You’ve heard it before, and it’s true: no place is perfect. What matters is how good of a fit it is for you.

Relocalate.com is here to help you decide whether New Hampshire is the best place for YOU to live.

Here are some reasons to love living in New Hampshire:

No income tax on wages and no sales tax.
Close to many exciting places on the East Coast.
Beautiful landscape.

And, on the flip side, here are some of the downsides of living in New Hampshire:

Relatively expensive place to live.
Cold winters.

Read More: Is New Hampshire a Good Place to Live?

Best Place to Live in New Hampshire

So, you’ve got your heart set on living in New Hampshire? Well, the decision making doesn’t end there. You’ve still got to decide where to live in New Hampshire!

In some other articles, we’ll dive deeper into some of the best places to live in New Hampshire.

Our experts have considered a whole bunch of different criteria to select the top locations, including:

The best places to live for families, retirees, singles, young adults, outdoor lovers, foodies, and more.
The safest places to live.
The cheapest places to live.
The best schools.
The best job markets.
The best housing markets.
And so much more.

Just want a quick list? No worries, here are some of the best cities to live in New Hampshire:

Hanover
Manchester

Checklist for Moving to New Hampshire

So now you’re preparing for your big move to New Hampshire. Maybe you’ve even started packing!

As you probably already know, there are a lot of things to take care of when you’re moving. Both in your current state and once you get to New Hampshire.

Here are some of the major things you’ll want to take care of when you move to New Hampshire:

Updating your address with USPS.
Getting your New Hampshire driver’s license.
Transferring your vehicle titles and registrations to New Hampshire
Getting New Hampshire car insurance.
Signing up for health insurance in New Hampshire and finding new doctors, dentists, and local hospitals.
Updating/changing other insurance policies you may need (homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance, pet insurance, motorcycle insurance, etc.)
Registering to vote in your district in New Hampshire.
Updating your address with your banks, credit cards, subscription services, loans, investments, phone plans, and bill pay.
Enrolling your kids in their new school district.
Licensing your pets and finding a new vet.
Setting up your utilities for your new home.
Preparing to file state taxes for New Hampshire and your previous home state.

Visit your New Hampshire Moving Checklist for a detailed guide on all of the above.

Read More: Moving to New Hampshire Checklist

While we’re at it, let’s cover some high-level questions and fun facts about New Hampshire.

Things to Know About Living in New Hampshire

As you’re preparing for your move or getting settled into your new home in New Hampshire, here are some things to know about living there.

Cost of Living in New Hampshire

One thing to consider when moving to a new state is the relative cost of living.

New Hampshire ranks 37th on the Cost of Living Index with an overall rating of 108.6, meaning it’s a relatively more expensive place to live.

Here is how New Hampshire scores for the cost of living in each specific category:

Groceries: 99.7
Housing: 110.3
Utilities: 115.2
Transportation: 99.6
Health: 113.4
Miscellaneous: 110.8

The average cost of living in this index is scored at 100. The numbers above represent the percentage of the average. A number higher than 100 represents an above average cost of living, while a number lower than 100 represents a lower cost of living. A lower rank indicates a lower cost of living.

This data comes from the Cost of Living Index prepared by the Council for Economic Research (C2ER), which compiles data from cities across the country to rank and compare the differences in costs of living.

Sales Tax Rates in New Hampshire

Sales tax is a way that state and local governments collect tax revenue from its residents and visitors.

These taxes are applied when you purchase something. It’ll show up on your receipt or bill. If you’ve recently moved to New Hampshire from somewhere else, the new sales tax rates may surprise you.

New Hampshire does not have a sales tax.

Check with the New Hampshire tax office for the most current tax rates.

Real-Estate Property Tax Rates in New Hampshire

If you own or plan to own real estate in New Hampshire, you’ll want to think about the property tax rates when you move there.

New Hampshire ranks 49th (from low to high) for its state property tax rate of 2.18%.

There may be additional property taxes on top of the rate stated here depending on your county, city, and school districts.

Check with the New Hampshire tax office for the most current tax rates.

New Hampshire’s Job Market & Economy

Another thing to think about when moving to New Hampshire is the job market and economic indicators.

Overall, New Hampshire ranks 40th for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States.

The GDP measures the overall monetary value of all goods and services produced within a certain place over a period of time.

Its top 10 industries (ranked from largest to smallest by economic contribution to the state) are:

Real estate and rental and leasing
Professional and business services
Educational services, health care, and social assistance
Manufacturing
Finance and insurance
Retail trade
Wholesale trade
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services
Information
Construction

The top employer in New Hampshire is Walmart.

Notable Destinations and Landmarks in New Hampshire

Our New Hampshire moving guide wouldn’t be complete without a brief mention of some of the most iconic destinations in the state.

When you get settled in, a road trip may just be in order.

One of the most iconic landmarks in New Hampshire is the Mount Washington Cog Railway.

Facts about New Hampshire

New Hampshire is the 9th state of the United States that lies in the northeast region. To its north is Canada, to its south is Massachusetts, to its east is Maine, and to its west is Vermont.

What is the capital of New Hampshire?

The capital of New Hampshire is Concord.

Concord is located in Merrimack County with a population of 42,695.

What is the population of New Hampshire?

The population of New Hampshire based on 2020 US Census data is 1,377,529.

What is the largest city in New Hampshire?

The largest city in New Hampshire is Manchester.

Manchester has a population of 112,525, and it is located in Hillsborough County.

What is the size of New Hampshire?

New Hampshire is 9,349 square miles, making it the 46th largest state in the U.S.

What is the state motto of New Hampshire?

The state motto of New Hampshire is: Live free or die

What is the state bird of New Hampshire?

The state bird of New Hampshire is the Purple finch.

What is the state flower of New Hampshire?

The state flower of New Hampshire is the Purple lilac.

What is the state tree of New Hampshire?

The state tree of New Hampshire is the American White Birch.

What is the minimum wage in the state of New Hampshire?

The minimum wage in New Hampshire is $7.25 per hour.

What is the median income in New Hampshire?

The median annual household salary in New Hampshire is $74,991.