New Hampshire vs Vermont: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in New Hampshire or Vermont?

  • Overall, Vermont is 6.0% less expensive than New Hampshire (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in New Hampshire works out to about $70,500 in Vermont, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 24.7% less in Vermont. Goods are 1.3% lower and other services 2.2% lower.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $58,893 in Vermont and $64,632 in New Hampshire (8.9% lower in Vermont; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run 100.9 in Burlington, VT, its only metro area (Vermont) and 105.7 in Manchester, NH, its only metro area (New Hampshire), US = 100.
  • The gap has widened since 2019, when Vermont was 4.2% less expensive than New Hampshire.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 24.7% lower in Vermont than in New Hampshire

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
All items
New Hampshire: 104.2 Vermont: 98.0
Goods
New Hampshire: 98.6 Vermont: 97.3
Housing (rents)
New Hampshire: 114.9 Vermont: 86.5
Utilities
New Hampshire: 133.7 Vermont: 125.8
Other services
New Hampshire: 103.9 Vermont: 101.6

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
New HampshireVermont
All items104.298.0
Goods98.697.3
Housing (rents)114.986.5
Utilities133.7125.8
Other services103.9101.6
CategoryNew HampshireVermontVermont vs New Hampshire
All items104.298.0−6.0%
Goods98.697.3−1.3%
Housing (rents)114.986.5−24.7%
Utilities133.7125.8−5.9%
Other services103.9101.6−2.2%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $64,632 $58,893 −8.9%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $4.25 $4.25 0.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in New Hampshire $75,000 $70,500 −6.0%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *New England region average (EIA has no separate New Hampshire figure). *New England region average (EIA has no separate Vermont figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between New Hampshire and Vermont has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
New HampshireVermont
2008106.1100.7
2009105.2101.4
2010104.099.4
2011103.599.1
2012102.9100.0
2013102.8100.4
2014102.197.9
2015104.0100.0
2016105.198.2
2017105.8100.3
2018103.5100.2
2019104.099.6
2020105.3102.1
2021102.698.7
2022107.8101.0
2023105.497.1
2024104.298.0

Goods

  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
New HampshireVermont
200898.7100.7
200998.3101.2
201098.398.4
201199.798.4
201299.799.0
201399.398.2
2014101.598.0
2015101.199.0
2016101.698.7
2017101.899.5
2018101.2100.7
2019100.798.8
2020101.898.7
2021102.198.3
2022104.6100.5
2023100.097.9
202498.697.3

Housing (rents)

  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
New HampshireVermont
2008118.598.8
2009122.7101.8
2010123.298.4
2011119.5101.4
2012121.4105.5
2013123.698.7
2014115.396.9
2015119.798.9
2016112.687.1
2017119.693.3
2018108.697.8
2019110.794.3
2020115.8105.3
2021107.092.9
2022121.588.9
2023114.582.3
2024114.986.5

Utilities

  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
New HampshireVermont
2008134.3129.0
2009138.4134.8
2010126.8130.3
2011131.7134.2
2012130.5135.4
2013123.9133.0
2014126.6127.9
2015131.0126.6
2016137.1130.2
2017143.8130.0
2018142.8128.8
2019145.0125.9
2020144.0140.7
2021140.9130.6
2022149.2117.5
2023156.2122.1
2024133.7125.8

Other services

  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
New HampshireVermont
2008106.8100.3
2009103.8100.3
2010101.999.3
2011100.797.8
201299.397.8
201399.0101.4
201498.397.2
2015100.8100.2
2016104.3100.7
2017103.5102.2
2018102.599.8
2019103.1101.1
2020103.4102.2
2021100.699.9
2022105.1105.1
2023105.1101.7
2024103.9101.6

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $58,893 in Vermont, $64,632 in New Hampshire

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
New HampshireVermontUnited States
2008$48,352$45,453$45,816
2009$48,316$44,810$44,204
2010$49,967$46,190$44,808
2011$51,195$47,638$45,957
2012$52,195$47,524$46,796
2013$51,281$47,151$46,358
2014$52,500$49,364$47,661
2015$53,623$49,521$49,396
2016$54,017$50,686$49,828
2017$54,844$49,958$51,006
2018$57,215$50,654$52,242
2019$59,512$52,744$53,683
2020$61,489$54,552$56,514
2021$66,325$56,938$59,365
2022$60,234$54,437$57,104
2023$62,459$58,061$58,088
2024$64,632$58,893$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

Methodology · Data sources · Report an error