New Hampshire is gaining the younger workers and families it needs to sustain its economy, but their ability to stay hinges on whether the state can tackle rising housing, child care and other costs. Addressing affordability concerns and strengthening support for families will be crucial to ensuring a thriving New Hampshire workforce and overall economy in the years ahead.
In September, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data that shows while the financial well-being of Granite Staters did not get worse between 2023 and 2024, it did not improve either. For many households already working hard to keep up with costs, this sense of constantly treading water could be as disruptive as an outright economic downturn.
The effects of missed paychecks and the loss of critical food assistance doesn’t just stop at household budgets, but has larger ripple-effects throughout the state economy, impacting local businesses, consumer confidence, and the well-being and stability of our overall economy.
In 2015, a typical family earning the state’s median household income could pay for a few essential costs — housing, child care, food, gasoline and health care — and still have money left over. Today, that same family has $17,349 less left at the end of the year after paying for those same few basic expenses.
According to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data, while the financial well-being of Granite Staters did not get worse between 2023 and 2024, it did not improve either.
The economy, both nationally and in New Hampshire, entered 2025 with significant strengths and key challenges. Now, early data from the first half of 2025 suggests the state’s economy faces new uncertainties at a potential inflection point.
