Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Manchester, NH

    Is Manchester a good place to live?

    Watch Manchester

    Manchester ranks #4 of 5 New Hampshire cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (31/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.3% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $336,300
    +10.4% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,465
    per month
    Household income
    $77,415
    median
    Unemployment
    3.8%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Manchester

    The median home value in Manchester is $336,300 and median rent is $1,465 a month, against a median household income of $77,415. Homes cost about 4.3× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Manchester crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across New Hampshire the 2025 rate was 119 violent and 829 property crimes per 100,000 people — #49 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Manchester, NH

    Manchester has about 115,415 residents, 3.8% unemployment and 23% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Manchester with

    Manchester vs NashuaManchester vs ConcordManchester vs DoverManchester vs Rochester

    More: Where to move in New Hampshire · Best counties in New Hampshire

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report