The 03063 zip code in Nashua tops our ranking of the most affordable places to live in New Hampshire.
We looked at 35 zip codes in the state, evaluating home values, rental costs, energy rates, property taxes, and five other affordability indicators. We used the data we gathered to calculate our proprietary Affordability Score for each zip code.
Top 10 most affordable places to live in New Hampshire
| Rank | City | Affordability Score | Median home value | Rental costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashua 🥇 | 100.0 | $437,043 | $2,031 |
| 2 | Claremont 🥈 | 93.9 | $260,694 | $1,637 |
| 3 | Keene 🥉 | 92.7 | $322,492 | $1,728 |
| 4 | Merrimack | 92.0 | $500,291 | $2,349 |
| 5 | Rochester | 90.5 | $367,432 | $2,100 |
| 6 | Hudson | 90.1 | $506,989 | $2,100 |
| 7 | Derry | 84.5 | $467,738 | $2,047 |
| 8 | Londonderry | 84.3 | $576,720 | $2,100 |
| 9 | Manchester | 83.6 | $437,844 | $2,100 |
| 10 | Goffstown | 83.3 | $483,641 | $2,100 |
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1. Nashua
Here's why the 03063 zip code in Nashua is New Hampshire's most affordable place to live.
🔎 Key data about Nashua
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 100.0 | No. 1 | N/A |
| Median home value | $437,043[1] | No. 11 | -$59,432 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.2 | No. 4 | -1.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 61.7%[2] | No. 10 | -2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.8%[3] | No. 15 | 0.5% |
| Rental costs | $2,031[4] | No. 7 | -$69 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.96% | No. 2 | -0.2% |
| Median household income | $103,466[5] | No. 11 | $8,166 |
| Property taxes | $6,107[6] | No. 10 | -$729 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[7] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
Nashua's 03063 zip code is the cheapest place to live in New Hampshire, leading the 35 markets we evaluated.
The median home value is $437,043, making it the 11th-cheapest housing market in the state. Forecasts project a 2.8% change in home values in the next year. Rent in the zip code averages $2,031 per month, which is the 2nd cheapest amount in New Hampshire.
The median property tax for homeowners in Nashua is $6,107 per household, the No. 10 ranked market in New Hampshire.
Residents pay $0.19 per kWh of electricity, which ranks No. 8 among New Hampshire markets.
2. Claremont
The 3743 zip code is the 2nd-cheapest place to live in New Hampshire.
🔎 Key data about Claremont
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 93.9 | No. 2 | N/A |
| Median home value | $260,694[8] | No. 1 | -$235,781 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.8 | No. 12 | -0.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 94%[9] | No. 35 | 30% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.3%[10] | No. 13 | 0.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,637[11] | No. 1 | -$463 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 3.03% | No. 34 | 0.8% |
| Median household income | $53,957[12] | No. 35 | -$41,343 |
| Property taxes | $5,742[13] | No. 6 | -$1,094 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[14] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
Claremont's 3743 zip code has a median home value of $260,694, which is the 13th-cheapest housing market in New Hampshire. You can rent for an average of $1,637 per month. That's the 1st-cheapest price in the state.
The average household income in the zip code is $53,957, which ranks 35th-highest in the state.
Homeowners in Claremont pay a median property tax of $5,742 per year, making it the 6th-most affordable market in New Hampshire.
Claremont ranks No. 8 among New Hampshire energy markets. You'll pay $0.19 per kWh of electricity.
3. Keene
The 3rd-cheapest place to live in New Hampshire is Keene's 3431 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Keene
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 92.7 | No. 3 | N/A |
| Median home value | $322,492[15] | No. 2 | -$173,983 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.6 | No. 8 | -0.6 |
| Home value five-year change | 73%[16] | No. 32 | 9% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 4.5%[17] | No. 35 | 2.2% |
| Rental costs | $1,728[18] | No. 2 | -$372 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.47% | No. 27 | 0.3% |
| Median household income | $69,848[19] | No. 30 | -$25,452 |
| Property taxes | $6,499[20] | No. 16 | -$337 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[21] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
The No. 2 cheapest housing market in New Hampshire is Keene's 3431 zip code, with a median home value of $322,492. Rents in the market average $1,728 per month, making it the 2nd-most affordable rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Keene is $6,499, which makes it the 16th-cheapest place in New Hampshire. Keene ranks No. 8 among New Hampshire markets by energy costs. Residents pay $0.19 per kWh of electricity.
4. Merrimack
The 3054 zip code in Merrimack comes in at No. 4 on our list of the cheapest places to live in New Hampshire.
🔎 Key data about Merrimack
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 92.0 | No. 4 | N/A |
| Median home value | $500,291[22] | No. 21 | $3,816 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.1 | No. 3 | -1.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 68%[23] | No. 27 | 4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.9%[24] | No. 20 | 0.6% |
| Rental costs | $2,349[25] | No. 32 | $249 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.95% | No. 1 | -0.3% |
| Median household income | 120730[26] | No. 8 | $25,430 |
| Property taxes | $7,068[27] | No. 22 | $232 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[28] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
The No. 21 cheapest housing market in New Hampshire is Merrimack's 3054 zip code, where the median home value is $500,291. Renters here pay an average of $2,349 per month.
When it comes to energy costs, Merrimack ranks 8th among New Hampshire markets. Residents pay $0.19 per kWh of electricity.
The median property tax for households in the zip code is $7,068, which makes it the 22nd-cheapest market in New Hampshire.
5. Rochester
The 3867 zip code in Rochester ranks No. 5 among New Hampshire's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Rochester
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 90.5 | No. 5 | N/A |
| Median home value | $367,432[29] | No. 3 | -$129,043 |
| Home affordability ratio | 5.0 | No. 16 | -0.3 |
| Home value five-year change | 71%[30] | No. 30 | 7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.7%[31] | No. 1 | -1.6% |
| Rental costs | $2,100[32] | No. 12 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.20% | No. 5 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $74,194[33] | No. 29 | -$21,106 |
| Property taxes | $5,111[34] | No. 2 | -$1,725 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[35] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
Rochester's 3867 zip code has a median home value of $367,432, the 3rd-cheapest market in the state. Forecasts project a 0.7% change in home values in the next year.
The median property tax per household in Rochester is $5,111. It's the 2nd-cheapest market by tax rate in New Hampshire.
6. Hudson
The No. 6 most affordable place to live in New Hampshire is the 03051 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Hudson
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 90.1 | No. 6 | N/A |
| Median home value | $506,989[36] | No. 23 | $10,514 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.0 | No. 1 | -1.2 |
| Home value five-year change | 59%[37] | No. 5 | -5% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.8%[38] | No. 15 | 0.5% |
| Rental costs | $2,100[39] | No. 12 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.20% | No. 5 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $125,216[40] | No. 6 | $29,916 |
| Property taxes | $6,405[41] | No. 13 | -$431 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[42] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
The back half of our top 10 kicks off with Hudson's 03051 zip code, which has the 23rd-cheapest home values in New Hampshire. The median home value is $506,989. Rents average $2,100 per month, making it the 12th-most affordable rental market in the state.
Residents pay $0.19 per kWh of electricity. It's the 8th-cheapest energy market.
7. Derry
Derry's 03038 zip code is the 7th-cheapest place to live in New Hampshire.
🔎 Key data about Derry
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 84.5 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Median home value | $467,738[43] | No. 16 | -$28,737 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.9 | No. 14 | -0.3 |
| Home value five-year change | 62%[44] | No. 9 | -3% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.7%[45] | No. 1 | -1.6% |
| Rental costs | $2,047[46] | No. 10 | -$53 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.16% | No. 4 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $94,655[47] | No. 18 | -$645 |
| Property taxes | $7,223[48] | No. 24 | $387 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[49] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
You'll find the 16th-cheapest home values in New Hampshire in Derry's 03038 zip code. The median value: $467,738. Renters in Derry pay an average of $2,047 per month.
Homeowners in Derry pay a median property tax of $7,223 per year, which is New Hampshire's 24th-most affordable market.
The average household income is $94,655, which ranks 18th-highest in the state.
8. Londonderry
The 8th-cheapest place to live in New Hampshire is Londonderry's 03053 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Londonderry
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 84.3 | No. 8 | N/A |
| Median home value | $576,720[50] | No. 26 | $80,245 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.5 | No. 7 | -0.8 |
| Home value five-year change | 62%[51] | No. 12 | -2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.7%[52] | No. 1 | -1.6% |
| Rental costs | $2,100[53] | No. 12 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.20% | No. 5 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $129,571[54] | No. 5 | $34,271 |
| Property taxes | $7,576[55] | No. 26 | $740 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[56] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
The 26th-cheapest housing market in New Hampshire is Londonderry's 03053 zip code, with a median home value of $576,720. Renters pay an average of $2,100 per month, the No. 12 rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Londonderry is $7,576, which makes it the 26th-cheapest place in New Hampshire. The average household income of $129,571 ranks 5th.
9. Manchester
Manchester's 03109 zip code sneaks into the top ten of New Hampshire's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Manchester
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 83.6 | No. 9 | N/A |
| Median home value | $437,844[57] | No. 12 | -$58,631 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.6 | No. 9 | -0.6 |
| Home value five-year change | 66%[58] | No. 21 | 2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.9%[59] | No. 20 | 0.6% |
| Rental costs | $2,100[60] | No. 12 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.20% | No. 5 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $94,818[61] | No. 17 | -$482 |
| Property taxes | $5,656[62] | No. 5 | -$1,180 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[63] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
The 12th-cheapest housing market in New Hampshire is Manchester's 03109 zip code, where the median home value is $437,844. Renters pay an average of $2,100 per month. It's the state's 12th-cheapest rental market.
The median property tax for households within the zip code is $5,656, which makes it the 5th-cheapest property tax rate in New Hampshire.
10. Goffstown
The final spot on our list of the most affordable places to live in New Hampshire goes to the 03045 zip code in Goffstown.
🔎 Key data about Goffstown
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 35 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 83.3 | No. 10 | N/A |
| Median home value | $483,641[64] | No. 18 | -$12,834 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.4 | No. 5 | -0.8 |
| Home value five-year change | 64%[65] | No. 16 | 0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 2.9%[66] | No. 20 | 0.6% |
| Rental costs | $2,100[67] | No. 12 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.20% | No. 5 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $109,452[68] | No. 9 | $14,152 |
| Property taxes | $6,644[69] | No. 20 | -$192 |
| Energy costs | $0.19 kWh[70] | No. 8 | $0.00 |
The 18th-most affordable market in New Hampshire is Goffstown's 03045 zip code. The median home value is $483,641. Rent in the market costs $2,100 per month on average, making it the 12th-most affordable rental market in New Hampshire.
The median property tax for households in Goffstown is $6,644, which is the 20th-cheapest property tax rate in the state.
Goffstown ranks No. 8 among New Hampshire markets by energy costs, with households paying $0.19 per kWh of electricity.
How we ranked the most affordable places in New Hampshire
We evaluated 35 zip codes in New Hampshire with a population over 10,000 on nine metrics. We then assigned each market an Affordability Score based on its weighted and combined rankings.
Our proprietary Affordability Score is a score on a scale of 0 (worst in state) to 100 (best in state) that estimates the affordability of a particular zip code. It takes into account these key data points for each zip code.
- Median home value: The median home value for each zip code comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. The lower the median home value relative to the median value in New Hampshire, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 23.8% to median home value.
- Home affordability ratio. The home affordability ratio is the typical median home value divided by the median household income in the zip code, which reveals the number of years of household income needed to afford a home in that zip code. A lower ratio is better because it means more households can afford a home. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 23.8% to the home affordability ratio.
- Home value five-year change: The home value five-year change is the amount that the median home value in the zip code has risen or fallen during the last five years. Our data comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value five-year change.
- Home value one-year forecast: The home value one-year forecast comes from Zillow Forecast data. It projects how much home values in the zip code are forecasted to change in the next year. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value one-year forecast.
- Rental costs. The rental costs are the observed rents in the zip code, sourced from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The index includes "listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region." We assign a weight of 11.9% to rental costs.
- Median household income: The inflation-adjusted median household income figures for the zip code comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 4.8% to median household income.
- Rent affordability ratio. The rent affordability ratio is the ratio of rental costs divided by median household income, which provides the percentage of household income needed to pay a typical month’s rent in the zip code. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 11.9% to the rent affordability ratio.
- Property taxes: The property tax figures are the median real estate taxes paid in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The lower the property tax rate relative to the New Hampshire average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to property taxes.
- Energy costs: The energy costs are the costs of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of residential electricity in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy. The lower the cost of electricity relative to the New Hampshire average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to energy costs.
✍️ Editor’s note: Our Affordability Score identifies the most affordable places in a state by zip code. Often the zip code we identify will represent an entire city or portion of a city.
Occasionally the zip code we identify will encompass an area that includes one or more small towns. In these cases, the data we’ve gathered applies to the entire zip code, not just the single town we’re using to help identify the zip code's location.
If you’re looking to move to one of these affordable places, we recommend doing additional research to make sure the costs in the area — and the quality of life it offers — meet your specific needs.
