State relocation profile · Federal data
New Hampshire
New Hampshire sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 104.2
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,894
- 2BR rent / mo
- $75,724
- Median salary
- 41.1
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, New Hampshire ranks #43 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (41.1/100, F), with its strongest marks in safety and environment.
- #43 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 41.1
- Life Score · F
- 104.2
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $75,724
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: schools (2/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), New Hampshire ranks #43 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 104.2 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,894/mo, median salary $75,724; Life Score 41.1/100 (F), strongest in safety and environment.
Signature: New Hampshire lists 1 MSA; the state average is closer to a single-labor-market read.
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 104.2 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,894/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $75,724.
Composite Life Score 41.1/100 (F) puts New Hampshire in the bottom third (#43 of 51).
Metro book is thin (1 MSA); the statewide profile is closer to the labor market you will actually live in.
Life Score plate
Sheet NH · New Hampshire 41.1/100 · F · #43 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-SAFETY · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #43/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.3 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 104.2
- LEAD-SAFETY Lead · safety
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Florida (+ 0.3 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around New Hampshire
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest New Hampshire on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
New Hampshire childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for New Hampshire (infant $14,934/yr leads the book).
New Hampshire Life Score breakdown
New Hampshire composites to 41.1/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #43 of 51.
New Hampshire - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Safety
Safety
90 /100
- Environment
Environment
72 /100
- Wages
Wages
66 /100
- Childcare 20
Childcare
20 /100
- Cost of living 16
Cost of living
16 /100
- Rent 12
Rent
12 /100
- Schools 2
Schools
2 /100
What this shows New Hampshire's strongest dimensions are safety and environment; its weakest among scored dims is schools at 2/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near New Hampshire on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to New Hampshire on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in New Hampshire
Explore detailed relocation data for 1 metropolitan area in New Hampshire. New Hampshire contains 1 metropolitan statistical area in our dataset - Manchester-Nashua - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Manchester-Nashua metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
New Hampshire cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; New Hampshire wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.