Opinions on making a move to Maine or New Hampshire

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by InTheMountains93

Between 2 jobs I work now I’m around 55k before taxes but I also get health benefits from the full time job and am contributing to pension with both jobs actually, I’m pretty sure if I leave I get at least a decent % of what I put in back but this is NJ we are talking about…..


My biggest thing is finding cheaper rent seems like housing all over the damn country is nuts right now. Seems like NH really has a shortage think I saw more cheaper rent in Maine but with NH low or no taxes I think that offsets living in Maine by far, and I really prefer NH more anyway but I am not someone who spends a lot of money I really am trying to save as much as can in the times we are in there is never any feeling of security….


Thank you for helpful comment, and I have a site that will go over every states taxes so put in salary and will know what gets taken out exactly. Between income and sales tax difference in each state I think you were right probably 300-400$ extra a month to be in NH.

If you get into rural NH, you'll find lower rents, but there will also likely be fewer job opportunities and lower pay, so that's not a slam dunk to be friendlier in a financial sense. Without considering a specific job, which can always be an exception, I'd think that what part of NH you'd prefer to land in lifestyle-wise would be a good thing to consider. If you're a hard-core outdoorsman and like the mountains, downhill skiing and trout-fishing, hunting, etc maybe that's around North Conway. If you like the beach and kayaking or fishing in estuaries, cross-country skiing, like listening to live music and other local cultural events, weekend visits to Portland and Boston now and then, look at Dover. The Concord area, while it's "boring" by some measures, is also worth looking at - rents should be quite reasonable and there is fair economic activity around there, and it's not far from the lakes region and the White Mtns.

[InTheMountains93]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

If you get into rural NH, you'll find lower rents, but there will also likely be fewer job opportunities and lower pay, so that's not a slam dunk to be friendlier in a financial sense. Without considering a specific job, which can always be an exception, I'd think that what part of NH you'd prefer to land in lifestyle-wise would be a good thing to consider. If you're a hard-core outdoorsman and like the mountains, downhill skiing and trout-fishing, hunting, etc maybe that's around North Conway. If you like the beach and kayaking or fishing in estuaries, cross-country skiing, like listening to live music and other local cultural events, weekend visits to Portland and Boston now and then, look at Dover. The Concord area, while it's "boring" by some measures, is also worth looking at - rents should be quite reasonable and there is fair economic activity around there, and it's not far from the lakes region and the White Mtns.

Laconia to me is exactly what I would want, people seem to keep saying how bad it is there but living in NJ and seeing bad areas in PA, Baltimore etc I really don’t think it’s as bad to an outsider.

My biggest thing is hiking/doing scenic drives and road trips and I would like to get into trail riding on ATV, I’ve never gone skiing but it’s something I might like to try out. Living near lake or beach would be ideal, I think I like Maine towns more then NH but I would much rather live in NH…. Dover is definitely an area I think I can enjoy and also Concord and Laconia. Would like to do a trip and see in person.

[dubthang]

If you plan to buy a house at some point, keep property taxes in mind. NH may be tax free, but they make up for those losses elsewhere. Some towns can have fairly low property taxes, but others can be astronomically high. It all depends on school districts, population, and amenities.