Where New Hampshire’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022
How does living in the Granite state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about New Hampshire’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in New Hampshire, doxo’s data reveals, pays $2,256 in bills per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 18 cities and towns across New Hampshire, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in New Hampshire and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on New Hampshire’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
New Hampshire residents pay $2,256 in household bills a month
The average New Hampshire household pays $2,256 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
New Hampshire residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 10th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Washington ranks 10th, with annual monthly expenses of $2,277, and Colorado ranks 11th, at $2,251.
New Hampshire’s household expenses, on average, are 12.6% higher than the national average of $2,003.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. New Hampshire households spend 35% of their income on household bills. For example, Connecticut is the 6th most expensive state and New York is the 7th most expensive, but New York residents spend 39% of their income on bills, while Connecticut residents spend only 35%.
Annually, New Hampshire residents pay $14 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in New Hampshire by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about New Hampshire
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,256 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $14 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 10 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 35%
- Difference from the National Average: 12.6% higher
Housing bill category drives New Hampshire’s high monthly bill expenses
The average New Hampshire household pays $2,256 in the 10 most common household bills per month. The average mortgage payment in New Hampshire is $1,818, and average rent is $1,115, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368 and rent bill of $1,129.
Other than housing-related expenses, alarm and security bills are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for New Hampshire residents. Still, these expenses are still lower than the national average. The average alarm and security bill in New Hampshire is $82 a month, compared to the national average of $84.
Compared to the national average, auto loan bills are also a notably higher expense for residents of New Hampshire. The average household in the state pays $440 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $433.
Utilities, by contrast, is more affordable in New Hampshire. While US residents on average spend $328 per month on car insurance, in New Hampshire they spend just $322.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average New Hampshire Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average New Hampshire Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | New Hampshire Percent +/- National Average ($2,003) |
| Mortgage | $1,818 | $1,368 | 33% higher |
| Rent | $1,115 | $1,129 | 1% lower |
| Auto Loan | $440 | $433 | 2% higher |
| Utilities | $322 | $328 | 2% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $184 | $196 | 6% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $140 | $114 | 23% higher |
| Health Insurance | $184 | $123 | 50% higher |
| Mobile Phone | $115 | $113 | 2% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $82 | $84 | 2% lower |
| Life Insurance | $91 | $82 | 11% lower |
| Total | $2,256 | $2,003 | 12.6% higher |
Bedford tops the list of most expensive cities for New Hampshire’s household bills
Residents of Bedford pay the highest household bills in the state of New Hampshire, at an average of $3,147 per month. Merrimack comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,679 on average per month.
In proportion to household income, however, Bedford’s bills are costlier than ones in Merrimack. While Bedford’s monthly bill basket makes up 29% of average household income there, Merrimack’s bill basket accounts for just 31% of average household income in that area.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive New Hampshire Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-5 out of 18) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills | |
| 1 | Bedford | $3,147 | 29% | |
| 2 | Merrimack | $2,679 | 31% | |
| 3 | Londonderry | $2,656 | 31% | |
| 4 | Derry | $2,512 | 42% | |
| 5 | Hudson | $2,485 | 31% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Keene is the most affordable New Hampshire city for household bills
Out of 78 cities and towns, Keene is the most affordable place in New Hampshire, with residents paying $1,913 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 41% of local income in Piedmont.
Claremont comes in at the second most affordable town or city in New Hampshire, with residents paying $1,947 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in New Hampshire are Rochester ($2,057 per month), Laconia ($2,144 per month), and Concord ($2,168 per month).
5 Most Affordable New Hampshire Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (14-18 out of 18) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 14 | Concord | $2,168 | 40% |
| 15 | Laconia | $2,144 | 45% |
| 16 | Rochester | $2,057 | 42% |
| 17 | Claremont | $1,947 | 48% |
| 18 | Keene | $1,913 | 41% |
In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare New Hampshire’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.