A new NHFPI study finds that child care remains a significant financial challenge for many Granite State families. The analysis found that the average annual price of center-based care for an infant and a four-year-old reached nearly $30,000 in 2025, up from about $22,500 in 2017, while the number of licensed child care providers statewide declined by 120 programs.

At NHFPI, we spend a lot of time examining New Hampshire’s challenges. But the data tell positive stories, too. In honor of 603 Day, we're highlighting five encouraging trends shaping the Granite State, from slowing housing price increases and declining drug-related deaths to growing freshman enrollment at UNH and improvements to roads, bridges, and child poverty.

Gasoline prices in New Hampshire have risen sharply in recent months, creating new financial pressure for many Granite State households already struggling with high housing, health care, and child care costs. A new NHFPI analysis examines how, in addition to the short-term challenges for family budgets, higher gas prices could also create longer-term challenges for funding road and bridge maintenance.