Before you decide to relocate to New Hampshire, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in New Hampshire that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2019-2023 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 26 places in New Hampshire with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in New Hampshire for 2025.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In New Hampshire For 2025
What’s the most expensive place to live in New Hampshire? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Hanover is the most expensive place to live in New Hampshire.
Berlin (the cheapest place to live in New Hampshire) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about New Hampshire and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In New Hampshire For 2025
/10
Population: 8,520
Cost Of Living Index: 151
Median Income: $135,250
Average Home Price: $682,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.0x
More on Hanover: Data
The overall cost of living in Hanover is 151. The median income in Hanover comes in at $135,250 and the average home value is $682,100 for 2025.
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Population: 9,960
Cost Of Living Index: 134
Median Income: $96,322
Average Home Price: $488,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.1x
More on Hampton: Data
The overall cost of living in Hampton is 134. The median income in Hampton comes in at $96,322 and the average home value is $488,400 for 2025.
/10
Population: 22,332
Cost Of Living Index: 133
Median Income: $105,756
Average Home Price: $640,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.1x
More on Portsmouth: Data
The overall cost of living in Portsmouth is 133. The median income in Portsmouth comes in at $105,756 and the average home value is $640,600 for 2025.
/10
Population: 12,307
Cost Of Living Index: 128
Median Income: $113,109
Average Home Price: $433,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on Londonderry: Data
The overall cost of living in Londonderry is 128. The median income in Londonderry comes in at $113,109 and the average home value is $433,100 for 2025.
/10
Population: 10,577
Cost Of Living Index: 128
Median Income: $109,934
Average Home Price: $451,000
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.1x
More on Durham: Data
The overall cost of living in Durham is 128. The median income in Durham comes in at $109,934 and the average home value is $451,000 for 2025.
/10
Population: 91,131
Cost Of Living Index: 122
Median Income: $92,457
Average Home Price: $373,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.0x
More on Nashua: Data
The overall cost of living in Nashua is 122. The median income in Nashua comes in at $92,457 and the average home value is $373,100 for 2025.
/10
Population: 14,759
Cost Of Living Index: 121
Median Income: $92,288
Average Home Price: $345,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.7x
More on Lebanon: Data
The overall cost of living in Lebanon is 121. The median income in Lebanon comes in at $92,288 and the average home value is $345,100 for 2025.
8. Dover
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Population: 33,070
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $92,748
Average Home Price: $398,500
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.3x
More on Dover:
The overall cost of living in Dover is 120. The median income in Dover comes in at $92,748 and the average home value is $398,500 for 2025.
/10
Population: 10,138
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $83,862
Average Home Price: $349,300
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Exeter: Data
The overall cost of living in Exeter is 120. The median income in Exeter comes in at $83,862 and the average home value is $349,300 for 2025.
/10
Population: 5,806
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $115,592
Average Home Price: $383,800
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.3x
More on South Hooksett: Data
The overall cost of living in South Hooksett is 120. The median income in South Hooksett comes in at $115,592 and the average home value is $383,800 for 2025.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Granite State For 2025
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in New Hampshire are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in New Hampshire to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 26 places in New Hampshire that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in New Hampshire according to the data is Hanover. We updated this article for 2025. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in New Hampshire.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In New Hampshire For 2025
Well, there you have it, the places in New Hampshire that have the highest cost of living, with Hanover ranking as the most expensive city in the Granite State.
The most expensive cities in New Hampshire are Hanover, Hampton, Portsmouth, Londonderry, Durham, Nashua, Lebanon, Dover, Exeter, and South Hooksett.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in New Hampshire according to the data:
- Berlin
- Newport
- Franklin
For more New Hampshire reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Hampshire
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Hampshire
- Safest Places In New Hampshire
- Worst Places To Live In New Hampshire
Most Expensive Cities In New Hampshire
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanover | 151 | 8,520 | $135,250 | $682,100 | 5.0x |
| 2 | Hampton | 134 | 9,960 | $96,322 | $488,400 | 5.1x |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 133 | 22,332 | $105,756 | $640,600 | 6.1x |
| 4 | Londonderry | 128 | 12,307 | $113,109 | $433,100 | 3.8x |
| 5 | Durham | 128 | 10,577 | $109,934 | $451,000 | 4.1x |
| 6 | Nashua | 122 | 91,131 | $92,457 | $373,100 | 4.0x |
| 7 | Lebanon | 121 | 14,759 | $92,288 | $345,100 | 3.7x |
| 8 | Dover | 120 | 33,070 | $92,748 | $398,500 | 4.3x |
| 9 | Exeter | 120 | 10,138 | $83,862 | $349,300 | 4.2x |
| 10 | South Hooksett | 120 | 5,806 | $115,592 | $383,800 | 3.3x |
| 11 | Derry | 119 | 21,668 | $88,901 | $356,700 | 4.0x |
| 12 | Hudson | 119 | 7,105 | $88,193 | $330,700 | 3.7x |
| 13 | Milford | 118 | 8,857 | $81,042 | $337,900 | 4.2x |
| 14 | Hooksett | 118 | 5,362 | $91,005 | $298,900 | 3.3x |
| 15 | Concord | 117 | 44,219 | $83,701 | $323,700 | 3.9x |
| 16 | Newmarket | 117 | 5,730 | $83,871 | $364,800 | 4.3x |
| 17 | Manchester | 114 | 115,415 | $77,415 | $336,300 | 4.3x |
| 18 | Suncook | 114 | 5,075 | $73,109 | $307,700 | 4.2x |
| 19 | Keene | 113 | 22,923 | $78,183 | $232,500 | 3.0x |
| 20 | Somersworth | 113 | 12,060 | $79,677 | $295,800 | 3.7x |
| 21 | Rochester | 112 | 32,866 | $79,388 | $262,600 | 3.3x |
| 22 | Laconia | 111 | 16,982 | $68,427 | $308,800 | 4.5x |
| 23 | Claremont | 107 | 13,054 | $54,520 | $171,900 | 3.2x |
| 24 | Franklin | 107 | 8,757 | $69,870 | $243,800 | 3.5x |
| 25 | Newport | 106 | 5,185 | $75,849 | $191,000 | 2.5x |
| 26 | Berlin | 97 | 9,473 | $43,972 | $113,500 | 2.6x |