Having lived in New York City, then Boston, and now, New Hampshire, I saw the differences a move made on my quality of life. It is no wonder that the pillars of business––including the Romneys, the Marriotts, and the Walgreens––are among many who lead a quiet and rich life here.
Since living in New Hampshire, my car insurance rate has cut in half, and I don’t have to pay sales tax for anything (other than for meals). I also found my blood pressure and cholesterol levels dropped significantly upon being surrounded by “On Golden Pond” lakes and mountains and fresh air. After all, 86 percent of New Hampshire is covered in trees. I transitioned from the constant noise of cars, to the iconic call of the loon on my lake. I was able to buy a waterfront home for $144,000, after I was paying over $2200 per month for my apartment in Boston 15 years ago. Over 20 years ago, I paid $120,000 for a 750-square-foot condo in Manhattan, New York, with an additional $500 per month to park my car––with a guarantee it would get damaged and dinged.
Making six figures even then wasn’t enough, especially with a new baby. Today, that same apartment in Boston is over $4000 per month, and the very small condo in Manhattan is well into the $300 to $400K+ range. You can forget about parking!
To help show how great New Hampshire really is, GoBankingRates.com did a survey on all 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, based on 12 criteria, in order to determine where families can get the most out of life.
What makes New Hampshire so great?
The ranking by GoBankingRates.com was based on the criteria below, which was analyzed and divided up into five categories, as follows:
Jobs and income: Median household income and state unemployment rate
Housing: Median home listing price and effective state property tax
Lifestyle: State tax rate, annual childcare costs, cost of groceries, and school district grades
Healthcare: Average family health insurance premium and percentage of employer contribution to employee health insurance
Safety: Violent crime rates and property crime rates
Each category was scored on a normalized scale, from zero to 100, with zero being the worst, and 100 the best. The national average scores for each category are as follows: (1) jobs and income, 46; (2) housing, 68; (3) lifestyle, 57; (4) healthcare, 55; (5) safety, 60.
And look which state is on top!
No. 1: New Hampshire
Jobs and Income Score: 87
Housing Score: 42
Lifestyle Score: 83
Healthcare Score: 39
Safety Score: 69
New Hampshire has a lot going for it. Everyone will enjoy the state’s low crime rates, highly rated schools, and low childcare costs. Zero sales tax in New Hampshire helps put it in first place in the lifestyle category.
New Hampshire takes first place for jobs and income, as well. Its unemployment rate is the second lowest in the nation, behind only South Dakota. Additionally, it is also ranked the eighth highest for median income.
Click here for a more detailed analysis.
Best County in the United States is in New Hampshire:
According to Movoto’s editorial content manager Randy Nelson, after reviewing over 640 counties in the United States, the East Coast, in general, ranked very high. The No. one county in the country was Rockingham County in New Hampshire. This county extends from the Seacoast of Portsmouth to the 1-93 quarter, near Concord south to Londonderry—with a whole lot of lakes to live on.
How Many Hours You Have to Work to Own a House in Every State:
As I mentioned, I moved from New York City, to Boston, to New Hampshire. In terms of how many hours per month it would take to own a home, I went from a state that requires an average of 61 hours per month, to 61 hours per month, to one of the lowest, at 40 hours per month. People who own a waterfront home find they could rent out their house for one week, or two weeks at most, to pay for a month’s mortgage. It’s great passive income, which is why I focus on waterfront home sales in New Hampshire.
More Stats to Consider:
New Hampshire is the seventh wealthiest state with a median household income of $66,532.
–– Third highest number of second homes in the country
–– Consistently rated as most livable state by US News and World Report
–– CNBC ranked New Hampshire as “America’s Top State” for “Quality of Life.”
–– Consistently ranks No. 1 for "Overall Child Wellbeing" by Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book
Need I say more? So let me help you find a richer place to live in the best state for a rich life.
Image courtesy of Michael Travis
Michael Travis is the exclusive agent representing the Lake Winnipesaukee, Lakes Region, New Hampshire, real estate market as a member of the Haute Residence Real Estate Network. View all of his listings here.
