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[AndrewVanboxel]

My wife and I are moving for sure the only question is when. I am a student, but I have enough certifications, and experience to get a job when we move. The only question is whether we can afford to live when we get there. I currently make about 40k, and my wife works part time at a bar. I am curious, since the cost of living is higher is pay for jobs higher than other places with a lower cost of living? Are there any movers who have came from other states who can share their experience? We are from Ohio.

[crossonscout]

I just moved from CT and I can tell you that while the cost of living "artificially" seems higher, it's actually much lower when you take into account all the costs you pay overall. For example, sales and income tax - those add up to a LOT of money every year for most people and while it's nickel and dimed to you to the point that you don't notice it all that much in daily life, once you add it all up (like I did) it comes to a significant amount of money. (For me for example, it's about $7,500 a year LESS I'm spending by living in NH due to no sales or income tax here.)

Hope this helps. Oh, also, I do think there are higher paying jobs here and in the Boston area if you want to travel a bit though you'll end up paying income tax to the peoples' republik of Taxachusett's.

[Eric Freerock]

We're leaving Ohio next week.  NH will cost pretty much the same after you factor in the savings from sales and income tax.

[greap]

My wife and I are moving for sure the only question is when. I am a student, but I have enough certifications, and experience to get a job when we move. The only question is whether we can afford to live when we get there. I currently make about 40k, and my wife works part time at a bar. I am curious, since the cost of living is higher is pay for jobs higher than other places with a lower cost of living? Are there any movers who have came from other states who can share their experience? We are from Ohio.

Technology in the Boston metro pays better then anywhere on the East Coast other then DC. If you live in one of the border towns, part of the Boston metro, then you get paid as if you worked in Boston (which has higher cost of living then NH) and there is a labor shortage in the technology area up here too.

Nashua has the most NH based technology jobs currently (about four times what Manchester does) but the entire Northern MA market is open too.

[freedomroad]

It depends on your lifestyle in NH. My rent in NH is much lower than what it was in the South and I live in a better place. Auto insurance tends to be much lower in NH than most states but health insurance tends to be higher. The price of motels is high in NH so I recommend not using them. The price of liquor is much lower than most states. The cost of food is slightly higher than the South but likely below the national average. Electric is way higher than much of the country. Water is a little higher than much of the US. Taxes are substantially lower than most places, especially if you don't own a large house in a high tax town. Overall, for me, the cost of living is lower in NH than in the South. The pay rate is obviously much higher in NH than in the South. Though, it is even higher in MA, which is partly why so many people live in southern NH and work in MA.

I recommend renting for 6 months to a year and exploring the state. There are some great deals on housing like $10,000 trailers in quiet 55plus communities in Salem (35min from Boston) or $80,000 condos in Salem or Seabrook (it has the lowest average property tax bills in southern NH, borders MA and is on a couple interstates and a few highways). I've seen 3 bedroom apartments for rent in Manchester for $750 but likely not in very safe areas. I've seen $500 a month 2 bedroom apartments in Newmarket (borders Portsmouth). See this thread for more examples. http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php?topic=26528.0

[freak]

I'd say that the average 2br in the Newmarket area is $800-900/month. One thing to be careful of when looking for apartments in the towns around UNH, is that they're often marketed to students, and as such are typically listed by the per person price. The ads are not always particularly clear about that fact.

[MaineShark]

I just moved from CT and I can tell you that while the cost of living "artificially" seems higher, it's actually much lower when you take into account all the costs you pay overall. For example, sales and income tax - those add up to a LOT of money every year for most people and while it's nickel and dimed to you to the point that you don't notice it all that much in daily life, once you add it all up (like I did) it comes to a significant amount of money. (For me for example, it's about $7,500 a year LESS I'm spending by living in NH due to no sales or income tax here.)

Don't forget auto insurance; I have a ridiculously-over-sized commercial policy with full coverage on my work truck, and I pay less than half of what my aunt in NY (not even the city) pays for basic liability coverage on her little car.  In NH, you have the option of going without auto insurance, so the insurance companies have to keep the prices reasonable in order to encourage folks to buy their product.

I'd say that the average 2br in the Newmarket area is $800-900/month.

And that could get you a 2000+sf house with three bedrooms and two full baths, on a couple acres, here in Grafton.

Cost of living, here, is much less than on the Seacoast (of course, the work opportunities are more limited, as well).

In other words, the cost of living varies greatly depending upon where in NH you live.

[lildog]

My wife and I are moving for sure the only question is when. I am a student, but I have enough certifications, and experience to get a job when we move. The only question is whether we can afford to live when we get there. I currently make about 40k, and my wife works part time at a bar. I am curious, since the cost of living is higher is pay for jobs higher than other places with a lower cost of living? Are there any movers who have came from other states who can share their experience? We are from Ohio.

When I moved from CT to NH in the late 90s there was a tool online that compared salaries.

I just searched and found a comparable tool
http://www.bestplaces.net/col/

You put in the city you live in now and the city you are looking to move to then punch in a salary and it tells you the comparable amount you'd need to make in the new city.

For instance I picked Wallingford, CT and Manchester, NH and left the default of $50,000 for the CT salary.  It came back saying you can live equally on $44,208 a year in Manchester.
Comparing Cleveland, OH to Manchester, NH with the same $50,000 starting salary came back with $68,236 as the salary you'd need to make in NH.  They also point out the biggest factor when they compare.  In the case of OH and NH, the factor is housing.  NH houses are going for 255% more then houses in OH.

[AndrewVanboxel]

Thanks for all the responses! You all have been very helpful!