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 2020-2024 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 25 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 2026.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In New Hampshire For 2026
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 2026
/10
Population: 8,479
Cost Of Living Index: 148
Median Income: $153,281
Average Home Price: $959,517
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.3x
More on Hanover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Hanover is 148. The median income in Hanover comes in at $153,281 and the average home value is $959,517 for 2026.
/10
Population: 22,545
Cost Of Living Index: 137
Median Income: $106,219
Average Home Price: $798,497
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.5x
More on Portsmouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Portsmouth is 137. The median income in Portsmouth comes in at $106,219 and the average home value is $798,497 for 2026.
/10
Population: 10,101
Cost Of Living Index: 130
Median Income: $97,163
Average Home Price: $618,202
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.4x
More on Hampton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Hampton is 130. The median income in Hampton comes in at $97,163 and the average home value is $618,202 for 2026.
/10
Population: 10,681
Cost Of Living Index: 127
Median Income: $112,070
Average Home Price: $683,122
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.1x
More on Durham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Durham is 127. The median income in Durham comes in at $112,070 and the average home value is $683,122 for 2026.
/10
Population: 12,225
Cost Of Living Index: 126
Median Income: $119,571
Average Home Price: $609,580
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.1x
More on Londonderry: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Londonderry is 126. The median income in Londonderry comes in at $119,571 and the average home value is $609,580 for 2026.
/10
Population: 91,294
Cost Of Living Index: 117
Median Income: $96,326
Average Home Price: $502,528
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.2x
More on Nashua: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Nashua is 117. The median income in Nashua comes in at $96,326 and the average home value is $502,528 for 2026.
/10
Population: 14,999
Cost Of Living Index: 117
Median Income: $98,147
Average Home Price: $453,643
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.6x
More on Lebanon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Lebanon is 117. The median income in Lebanon comes in at $98,147 and the average home value is $453,643 for 2026.
/10
Population: 33,364
Cost Of Living Index: 116
Median Income: $94,829
Average Home Price: $537,812
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.7x
More on Dover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Dover is 116. The median income in Dover comes in at $94,829 and the average home value is $537,812 for 2026.
/10
Population: 5,902
Cost Of Living Index: 116
Median Income: $130,000
Average Home Price: $546,044
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on South Hooksett: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in South Hooksett is 116. The median income in South Hooksett comes in at $130,000 and the average home value is $546,044 for 2026.
/10
Population: 5,679
Cost Of Living Index: 115
Median Income: $87,196
Average Home Price: $553,162
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.3x
More on Newmarket: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Newmarket is 115. The median income in Newmarket comes in at $87,196 and the average home value is $553,162 for 2026.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Granite State For 2026
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 2020-2024 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 25 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 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in New Hampshire.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In New Hampshire For 2026
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, Portsmouth, Hampton, Durham, Londonderry, Nashua, Lebanon, Dover, South Hooksett, and Newmarket.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in New Hampshire according to the data:
- Berlin
- Rochester
- 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 | 148 | 8,479 | $153,281 | $959,517 | 6.3x |
| 2 | Portsmouth | 137 | 22,545 | $106,219 | $798,497 | 7.5x |
| 3 | Hampton | 130 | 10,101 | $97,163 | $618,202 | 6.4x |
| 4 | Durham | 127 | 10,681 | $112,070 | $683,122 | 6.1x |
| 5 | Londonderry | 126 | 12,225 | $119,571 | $609,580 | 5.1x |
| 6 | Nashua | 117 | 91,294 | $96,326 | $502,528 | 5.2x |
| 7 | Lebanon | 117 | 14,999 | $98,147 | $453,643 | 4.6x |
| 8 | Dover | 116 | 33,364 | $94,829 | $537,812 | 5.7x |
| 9 | South Hooksett | 116 | 5,902 | $130,000 | $546,044 | 4.2x |
| 10 | Newmarket | 115 | 5,679 | $87,196 | $553,162 | 6.3x |
| 11 | Derry | 114 | 21,339 | $91,673 | $493,914 | 5.4x |
| 12 | Exeter | 114 | 9,964 | $87,346 | $607,124 | 7.0x |
| 13 | Milford | 113 | 8,956 | $78,684 | $508,125 | 6.5x |
| 14 | Manchester | 112 | 115,643 | $81,007 | $435,333 | 5.4x |
| 15 | Hudson | 112 | 7,469 | $95,842 | $534,265 | 5.6x |
| 16 | Hooksett | 111 | 5,876 | $101,053 | $522,158 | 5.2x |
| 17 | Concord | 110 | 44,375 | $84,902 | $445,978 | 5.3x |
| 18 | Somersworth | 110 | 12,111 | $74,504 | $439,894 | 5.9x |
| 19 | East Merrimack | 110 | 5,081 | $87,311 | $367,432 | 4.2x |
| 20 | Keene | 108 | 22,939 | $78,445 | $341,419 | 4.4x |
| 21 | Suncook | 106 | 5,432 | $79,836 | $455,162 | 5.7x |
| 22 | Laconia | 105 | 17,085 | $73,218 | $434,892 | 5.9x |
| 23 | Franklin | 104 | 8,799 | $71,648 | $376,959 | 5.3x |
| 24 | Rochester | 103 | 33,144 | $80,836 | $398,491 | 4.9x |
| 25 | Berlin | 90 | 9,383 | $45,180 | $178,877 | 4.0x |