Smart people find deals. You’re here to find a deal on a place to live in New Hampshire. You’re smart.
And because you’re smart, you only trust unbiased data on home prices and the cost of living. So, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the New Hampshire Census for home prices, incomes, and cost of living data for the 25 cities with more than 5,000 residents in the Beehive State.
We determined that affordable places in New Hampshire include retirement communities in Suncook, cities like Manchester, and family-oriented places like Portsmouth.
These places free up money for a Saturday tee time at Mystic Meadows in Laconia or a family staycation at Wallis Sands State Beach in Rye.
About 16.0 percent of New Hampshire workers now work from home, the 6th-highest share in the country — our state-by-state commute breakdown shows what that flip did to carpooling.
$45,180 median income · $815 median rent · #1 home prices in New Hampshire
Located in
Coos County, New Hampshire
You don’t need to book a flight to Germany to get a sweet deal in Berlin. It might help to know some French though, because, as a city near Quebec, around 65% of Berlin’s population speaks a variant of New England French. Berlin’s the type of place you’ll want to settle down in for the long haul, because it’s where you’ll find the cheapest homes (by a wide margin) and, more importantly, the best home price to income ratio in the state. Add to that the fact that Berlin is one of the best places for families in New Hampshire, and you’ve got a recipe for a successful long-term stay. On the downside, Berlin is the least economical place to rent on this list. But we promise that once you see the stunning views from Jericho Mountain, your financial anxieties will be far from your mind.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$80,836 median income · $1,369 median rent · #5 home prices in New Hampshire
Located in
Strafford County, New Hampshire
We’re going to take a very short drive west from Somersworth to arrive at our second most affordable city in New Hampshire, Rochester. If you decide to move to Rochester, you’ll have no trouble getting friends to visit thanks to all the concerts and shows put on at the Rochester Opera House. Homes in Rochester go for about $398,492, the fifth lowest price in New Hampshire. Additionally, Rochester’s residents pay the sixth smallest portion of their income on homes statewide. That’s all the good news; the bad news is that Rochester was also named the most dangerous city and overall worst place to live in New Hampshire.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$71,648 median income · $1,110 median rent · #4 home prices in New Hampshire
Located in
Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Franklin ranks as the third least expensive place to call home in the Granite State thanks to strong affordability numbers across the board. Franklin’s got some of the cheapest homes for sale you’ll find in New Hampshire, with a median price tag of $376,959. If you’re not ready to settle down here just yet, renting in Franklin costs about $1,110/month. Renting or buying, Franklin has excellent housing to income ratios. Not to mention that it’s one of the best cities for singles in New Hampshire thanks to great date spots like Tarbin Gardens. Looking for love has never been so affordable!
Franklin is about a half hour north of Concord.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$73,218 median income · $1,224 median rent · #6 home prices in New Hampshire
Located in
Belknap County, New Hampshire
Next up on our list of super inexpensive spots in New Hampshire is Laconia. Don’t let the city’s affordability fool you into thinking Laconia’s boring though; whether you’re just kicking it at Weirs Beach or zipping from tree to tree at Monkey Trunks Park, there’s something for every speed here. Laconia has the fourth cheapest homes in New Hampshire, with a median price of $434,892. Folks buying a home in Laconia enjoy the 18th best home price to income ratio, while those renting get the seventh best deal in New Hampshire.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$79,836 median income · $1,091 median rent · #11 home prices in New Hampshire
Located between Manchester and Concord, Suncook ranks as the fifth least expensive place in New Hampshire. Suncook owes its high position on this list to its incredibly affordable rent. You can get rent a spot in Suncook for just $1,091/month, less than half the average rent in New Hampshire. And with a median income of $79,836, Suncook enjoys the third best rent to income ratio in the state. If you’re looking to reward yourself for your smart financial planning, head on down to Oddball Brewing Co. for a Suncook Lager.
Data | Movers
$78,445 median income · $1,342 median rent · #2 home prices in New Hampshire
Located in
Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Keene, located in New Hampshire, is a great place to live for those looking to save money. With a median home value of $341,420 and a median rent of $1,342, Keene is one of the most affordable places to live in New Hampshire. In fact, the home price to income ratio is only 4th in the state, making it much easier for residents to afford housing compared to other areas.
Keene has a population of 22,939 and offers a high quality of life with plenty of amenities. With an overall cost of living rating of 108, residents can enjoy a comfortable, low-cost lifestyle.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$84,902 median income · $1,441 median rent · #9 home prices in New Hampshire
Located in
Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Concord, NH, ranks as one of the most affordable places to live in New Hampshire. With a median home value of $445,979 and median rent of only $1,441, it is easy to see why this city is a great option for those looking for affordable housing. In fact, the home price to income ratio in Concord is quite low at only 5.25, making it an ideal location for those who want to keep their housing costs low.
As the capital city of New Hampshire, Concord has a bustling downtown area with plenty of shops and restaurants. It also boasts a low unemployment rate of only 4.08%, making it a great place to find work.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$74,504 median income · $1,477 median rent · #8 home prices in New Hampshire
Located in
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Coming in as the eighth cheapest place to live in New Hampshire is Somersworth, a small city a half hour north of Portsmouth. We gave Somersworth an 8/10 on our overall SnackAbility score, with an emphasis on solid schools, a strong market for jobs and housing, and being one of the most diverse cities in New Hampshire. Oh, and affordability of course. Somersworth has the eighth least expensive homes statewide, with a median price tag of $439,895. The median income in Somersworth is $74,504, giving the city the 17th best home price to income ratio in New Hampshire. Not to mention that if you go fishing at Willand Pond, you can cut down on your food and entertainment budget at the same time.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$87,311 median income · $1,952 median rent · #3 home prices in New Hampshire
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$101,053 median income · $1,811 median rent · #15 home prices in New Hampshire
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New Hampshire’s statewide median.
New Hampshire statewide median: $507,347
New Hampshire statewide median: $99,031
On the map
Where your money goes furthest in New Hampshire
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Granite State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in New Hampshire boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for New Hampshire using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in New Hampshire to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 25 places in New Hampshire that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in New Hampshire with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Berlin.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in New Hampshire. The median New Hampshire home is 46 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Cheapest Places To Live In New Hampshire
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 9,383 | 90 | $45,180 | $178,877 | $815 |
| 2 | Rochester | 33,144 | 103 | $80,836 | $398,492 | $1,369 |
| 3 | Franklin | 8,799 | 104 | $71,648 | $376,959 | $1,110 |
| 4 | Laconia | 17,085 | 105 | $73,218 | $434,892 | $1,224 |
| 5 | Suncook | 5,432 | 106 | $79,836 | $455,163 | $1,091 |
| 6 | Keene | 22,939 | 108 | $78,445 | $341,420 | $1,342 |
| 7 | Concord | 44,375 | 110 | $84,902 | $445,979 | $1,441 |
| 8 | Somersworth | 12,111 | 110 | $74,504 | $439,895 | $1,477 |
| 9 | East Merrimack | 5,081 | 110 | $87,311 | $367,433 | $1,952 |
| 10 | Hooksett | 5,876 | 111 | $101,053 | $522,158 | $1,811 |
| 11 | Manchester | 115,643 | 112 | $81,007 | $435,334 | $1,564 |
| 12 | Hudson | 7,469 | 112 | $95,842 | $534,266 | $1,722 |
| 13 | Milford | 8,956 | 113 | $78,684 | $508,126 | $1,557 |
| 14 | Derry | 21,339 | 114 | $91,673 | $493,914 | $1,549 |
| 15 | Exeter | 9,964 | 114 | $87,346 | $607,124 | $1,711 |
| 16 | Newmarket | 5,679 | 115 | $87,196 | $553,162 | $1,701 |
| 17 | Dover | 33,364 | 116 | $94,829 | $537,812 | $1,607 |
| 18 | South Hooksett | 5,902 | 116 | $130,000 | $546,044 | $1,471 |
| 19 | Nashua | 91,294 | 117 | $96,326 | $502,529 | $1,737 |
| 20 | Lebanon | 14,999 | 117 | $98,147 | $453,644 | $1,744 |
| 21 | Londonderry | 12,225 | 126 | $119,571 | $609,580 | $1,952 |
| 22 | Durham | 10,681 | 127 | $112,070 | $683,122 | $1,302 |
| 23 | Hampton | 10,101 | 130 | $97,163 | $618,203 | $1,654 |
| 24 | Portsmouth | 22,545 | 137 | $106,219 | $798,497 | $1,869 |
| 25 | Hanover | 8,479 | 148 | $153,281 | $959,517 | $2,254 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, cost-of-living data. 25 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
New Hampshire Affordability Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in New Hampshire for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in New Hampshire.
The cheapest cities in New Hampshire are Berlin, Rochester, Franklin, Laconia, Suncook, Keene, Concord, Somersworth, East Merrimack, and Hooksett. Not sold on New Hampshire? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Affordable Places To Live In New Hampshire FAQs
What is the cheapest place to live in New Hampshire?
Berlin is the cheapest place to live in New Hampshire for 2026. It posts the lowest Cost of Living Index of the 25 places we analyzed; Rochester and Franklin are next.
How cheap is housing in Berlin?
The median home value in Berlin is $178,877, versus $507,347 statewide, and the median rent is $815. Housing carries the biggest weight in our cost of living index, and it is the main reason Berlin takes the top spot.
What are the most affordable places to live in New Hampshire?
The most affordable places to live in New Hampshire are Berlin, Rochester, and Franklin. We ranked all 25 places with more than 5,000 residents on housing, transportation, services, groceries, healthcare, and utilities costs; the full top ten is in the table above.
What is the most expensive place to live in New Hampshire?
Hanover is the most expensive place to live in New Hampshire. It ranks last of the 25 places we scored on the Cost of Living Index, and the other priciest spots are listed next to the summary above.
How do you measure the cost of living in New Hampshire?
We index cost of living data from the Census American Community Survey across housing, transportation, services, groceries, healthcare, and utilities, with housing weighted heaviest since it eats the biggest share of a budget. A score of 100 is the national average; anything under 100 counts as affordable.
