Pros and Cons - NH is OK - 12/13/2019

I have lived in 6 other states all over the country, making New Hampshire my 7th. I've been here for about two and a half years. Like everywhere else, there are good things and bad things about NH. Pros are that it really is a beautiful place. Aside from Washington and Colorado, I'd say NH is the most beautiful state in the country. Lakes, mountains, beaches... it's all within an hour drive. Boston is close too, which is a pro and a con! The colors of fall are really stunning. If you are an outdoorsy person, you will never get bored in NH. Other pros include no state income tax and no sales tax on most things, which is a big help at the checkout line at the grocery store. It's a relatively safe state outside of inner-city Manchester. Plenty of outlet malls and decent shopping. Within an 8-10 hour drive of some of the country's largest cities like Boston, NYC, and Philly, yet there are plenty of rural places to escape to if you're tired of people. Cons include weather. Obviously, it snows. Alot. If you move here, you will invariably get your car stuck in the snow at some point so get prepared. Housing is pretty expensive compared to most other places in the country, and it's not great quality housing either. Finding a place with central heat and A/C is rare, as is finding a place with washer/dryer hookups. The state is in the middle of an awful housing crisis currently, so it's likely that you'll be pitted against dozens of other desperate renters just to get into a place. Not enough housing to go around unfortunately. Another con is the drivers. I have found them to be pretty bad. Not sure if it's NH drivers or neighboring drivers from Mass (they are notoriously aggressive) but driving here has been more stressful than anywhere else I've lived, even southern CA. Summertime brings lovely weather, however you will find that NH gets clogged with TONS of vacationing New Englanders during the summer. Summer brings heavy traffic, long lines, etc... from out of staters. The politics of the state can be pretty whacky at times. Overall, NH is ok. Of all the states I have lived in, there are better places to live, but there are certainly worse ones as well. Depends on what your preferences are.

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Cold but great. - 11/6/2018

I've been living here my whole life, so I guess I don't have much to compare it to, but here's my opinion: New Hampshire is beautiful, I love the seasons and the leaves (when I was younger I didn't even know that the leaves didn't change colour everywhere, I figured it out on a vacation), and even though the winters may be harsh, you still find a way to have the best time. (I probably wouldn't have taken up ice skating if I didn't live in New England). Even if you're not here for the weather, there are still tons of things I enjoy about New Hampshire. Growing up was a blast, I may have not liked school very much, but I did get a great education (and I went to college not too far from home). I loved my community and how much time I spent at events downtown. I remember how every year we (used to) go to the pumpkin fest as a family and in the weeks before, we would carve as many pumpkins as we could, to try to beat the world record of jack o' lantern's lit at the same time. Or the amount of snow days we got, which seemed to fit perfectly on the days I had projects due (or maybe that's just cause I didn't like school). Never mind, loving New Hampshire is almost solely because of the weather. We also don't have sales tax, so that's a plus. (That's another thing I didn't know until a field trip to Mass, I was so confused when I had to pay more than the price tag had said). That's also one of the reasons why houses and apartments cost more, but the no sales tax makes up for it, (and the low unemployment rate). But all in all, my experience of living in New Hampshire (so far) has been wonderful, I've had a great (but cold) time with the weather, and raising a family (so far) has been wonderful in the granite state I call my home. So, I really do hope that you get to visit, or at least consider visiting, the wonderfully beautiful, but sometimes cold, New Hampshire.

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suzy - 2/2/2017

love n.h.

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Low Crime - 2/16/2016

Nice place to live and raise children.

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Snow - 2/28/2015

Snow iis not a surprise. NH ihas four seasons and each one compliments the natyral beauty of yhis state.

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New Hampshire quality of life - 12/9/2011

No state income tax, few / rare natural disasters (forest fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc) and accessible outdoor recreation make the area attractive.

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New Hampshire a Nice Place to Live - 2/26/2011

NH offers a diversity that you don't find in many areas of the country. You have lakes, mountains, the ocean, you're never too far away from any of them at any one time. New York City is 4 hours away, Boston can be reached in 2 hours from virtually any populated area of the state. As a native in his early 50's, I'm pining for less intense winters, otherwise this is a great state to raise a family, or to retire to if you like winter sports.

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Move elsewhere - 2/23/2011

While New Hampshire is a beautiful state and has everything to offer it is not a place to buy a home unless you are wealthy and can afford to live off the interest of your investments. The property taxes are outrageous because we do not have a state or sales tax. The home owners support the state, period! Vehicle registrations are ridiculous too and you don't have to have automotive insurance...That's right, your not required to carry it unless you get popped for OUI or get into an accident. Because of this the ones who elect to have automotive insurance pay high premiums and if they get hit by an uninsured motorist, you'll be covered for your injuries but you wont be able to sue your insurance company for life long injuries because of the accident because the laws wont let you sue your insurance company! So if you lose a limb or a loved one, your loss, in the mean time the one who hit you is now obligated to carry automotive insurance. If you rent, that's fine, you don't have the burdens of the home owner. The state motto is "Live Free Or Die" and its true, you can live free in NH (if you collect welfare) because the tax payers, (home owners), pay for it... I'm not against people who collect welfare, some people need it, but NH makes it easy for people to get it even if they have incomes. What you see a lot of here are single moms with their working boy friends living with them.

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New Hampshire life - 7/26/2010

The quality of life in New Hampshire is true New England. People are friendly, once they get to know you, and one feels safe most of the time. The winters can be severe but the Autumn is beautiful beyond description.

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The New Hampshire Advantage - 3/22/2010

I've lived in NH for 16 years. New Hampshire real estate taxes may not all be ideal -- but we have NO state income tax, NO sales tax and one of the highest safety ratings (crime rate is #47 of 50 states) in the country. Named in the CNBC rankings of "top states for doing business" as #1 for quality of life (#5 for education; #9 for business-friendly). New Hampshire was the first to perform an outright act of insurrection in December 1774, was the first after John Hancock to sign the Declaration of Independence and -- as the 9th, majority-producing, state to ratify the Constitution was "the state that made us a nation." We still have the first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary, are the only state to help an American President win a Nobel Peace Prize (see PortsmouthPeaceTreaty.com) and allow citizens to own and carry guns. Our state legislature is the largest -- which gives us an effective ratio of 1 legislator for every 3000 or so citizens New Hampshire has four glorious seasons, ocean beaches, lakes, mountains, forests (2nd after Maine for coverage), colleges and fresh air. Consider that Daniel Webster, Robert Frost, Alan Shepherd and Christa McAuliffe, Robert Rogers (of Rogers Rangers), Celia Thaxter, Bode Miller, Steve Tyler and Dr. Seuss all have deep New Hampshire connections and you realize that "Live Free or Die" is a slogan that means more than first meets the eye.

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crime trends - 2/17/2010

I am in school for criminal justice. I would like to find crime trends and stats and comps in crimes from all over the US. Mostly a comparison in small towns like Hudson, NH and cities like Lawrence and Lowell, MA.

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Housing Costs - 12/19/2009

you do not get much for what you pay for compared to other parts of the country. many houses are older and outdated. cost of living is very high as are taxes.

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Fees and property tax - 10/24/2009

Taxes are very low except for property tax,but the fees are everywhere.From local gov to state

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Rent - 8/29/2009

rent in New Hampshire is very high compared to the rest of the nation

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New Hampshire - 8/18/2009

We have lived in NH now for about 12 years, coming back here after being away in the military for approximately seven years. It has changed considerably, and the property taxes are unreal. The economy, while being bad everywhere right now, is probably worse here. There have been breaking and entering and stealing, malicious mischief. Things are not good here. We would like to go to Kingman, Az and either build on land we have there, or move into the city and sell our land. But we need to get more info. Anyone thinking of moving here may not find a job, and your mortgage, while being low, will rise from the taxes. lots of rain this year too, more than usual.

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cold winters, great schools - 7/15/2009

Small town southern New Hampshire has a lot to offer if you're raising a family - the high property taxes are more bearable when you see how great the school systems can be. The cold winters are hard but the rest of the year is gorgeous.

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Climate in New Hampshire - 6/8/2009

We have very variable weather here. The rule of thumb is if you don't like the weather today, wait a minute. We have long winters and short summers, autumn is awesome. We have heat waves and ice storms and lots of snow.

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Nice Weather Season is Too Short - 11/1/2008

I like the Mountains but the weather is too cold for too long

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High Property Taxes - 9/3/2008

Because there is no sales tax or income tax, expect to pay alot for property tax!! I have lived in NH my whole life and 19 of them in Northfield, it is ridiculous how much the home owners have to pay in this state.

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Growing to fast - 8/21/2008

We live in Central NH and since moving here in 2001 we have noticed that we are becoming more and more like Southern California. Crime, gangs, more and more tear down the trees and build houses. We love the climate, except for this past winter and this summer. Snow as above records and this summer we have had a years worth of rain in 2 months. Contrary to what some have said about "New Englanders'" they are friendly and nice. But, due to the economy we will be on the move again. cap3w

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