Two New Hampshire cities are among the 10 best-run cities in the country, according to a WalletHub analysis of U.S. communities where residents get the most bang for their taxes.
Manchester was rated No. 3, while Nashua was close behind at No. 5., based on a “Quality of Services” score that WalletHub developed using 36 metrics across six key service areas — financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure/pollution.
To have two cities in the top 10 is quite a coup for a state, according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
“The fact that both Manchester (No. 3) and Nashua (No. 5) rank among the 10 best-run cities shows that New Hampshire municipalities are delivering strong public services without overspending,” Lupo said. He noted that the state is not wholly unique in claiming two cities in the Top 10; Idaho also has two — Nampa at No. 2 and Boise at No. 4.
Lupo noted that Manchester has the third-smallest budget per capita, yet it performs well in several key areas. Its current budget is $453 million.
“For example, it has the sixth-best infant mortality rate, the 19th-lowest property crime rate and the 25th-lowest violent crime rate,” Lupo said. “Manchester also ranks 10th for air quality, reflecting a cleaner environment than most large cities. These results suggest the city is making efficient use of its resources to deliver strong outcomes in areas that matter most to residents.”
Lupo cited Nashua for making the most of the 15th-smallest budget per capita on a $502.3 million spending plan.
“Nashua stands out for its public safety, ranking fourth for violent crime, seventh for property crime and third for overall crime, while also placing third for its low poverty rate and 10th for its cost-of-living-adjusted household income,” Lupo said. “Those strengths help explain why Nashua ranks fourth overall for its economy and seventh for safety, demonstrating that effective city management extends well beyond how much a city spends.”
In a media statement, Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais cited teamwork among “city employees, community partners and residents” for the WalletHub designation.
“This recognition comes at a time when Manchester is making real progress on some of our community’s biggest challenges. Crime has continued to fall, we’re expanding housing opportunities, addressing homelessness through a comprehensive response, while making our city run more effectively and efficiently, delivering results for our taxpayers among other key initiatives,” Ruais said.
It was a sentiment echoed by Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess in a separate media statement.
“This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our municipal employees, community partners, elected officials, and residents,” Mayor Jim Donchess said. “Nashua continues to demonstrate that responsible fiscal management and high-quality public services go hand-in-hand. We are proud that our commitment to public safety, economic opportunity and quality of life is being recognized on a national stage.”
The WalletHub report comes amid a New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute report of its own that shows population growth among the state’s three largest cities — Manchester, Nashua and Concord — has remained relatively static over the past five years, while some smaller suburban and rural communities have seen population declines.
New Hampshire grew its population by about 36,590 people (2.7%) between 2020 and 2025, but the growth was widely disseminated and somewhat hampered by economic challenges, including the rising cost of living and increased housing constraints, “which may be deterring young families from settling in New Hampshire for the long term,” said NHFPI senior analyst Jessica Williams.
Here are some of the top line findings of the report authored by Williams:
— 31 New Hampshire communities experienced population declines;
— 98 grew more slowly than the state overall percentage of 2.7%;
— 105 municipalities saw growth rates that were similar to or faster than the state’s overall rate;
— 24 communities, composed mostly of low-population townships in the northernmost part of the state, experienced no estimated population change during the five-year period.
With regard to Manchester and Nashua, the analysis showed the Queen City with a 1.1% growth of 1,311 new residents and the Gate City with a 1.4% growth of 1,240 new residents. Both are recovering from population declines during the COVID pandemic, according to the NHFPI, but housing is a challenge for the state’s two largest cities going forward.
“Increases in housing costs and low inventory, including in these more populated areas of the state, may be prompting people to seek housing opportunities in more affordable environments, even if that means being further away from their workplaces,” Williams said.
As of May 2026, a median priced single-family home in Manchester was $461,750, compared to the statewide median of $580,000. In May 2025, it was $460,000. In May 2024, it was also $460,000, according to New Hampshire Association of Realtors (NHAR) data.
In Nashua, the May 2026 median priced home was $597,500, compared to $569,000 in May 2025, and $540,000 in May 2024.
NHFPI said Epping had the fastest population increase among all of New Hampshire’s municipalities, adding about 820 residents (11.5%) over the five-year period.
The state’s three public university towns — Durham, Plymouth and Keene — saw stagnant growth or declines, according to the NHFPI data. Plymouth had 23 new residents for a growth rate of 0.3%), Keene (23, 0.1%) and Durham (-218, -1.4%).
“Declines in college enrollment are likely influencing population changes in Plymouth, Keene, and Durham, which house three of the state’s largest four-year public higher education institutions,” said the report, holding out some hope for Durham. “The University of New Hampshire’s Durham campus recently saw an increase in the projected number of first-year students for the upcoming 2026 fall semester, following steady declines in enrollment since 2022.”
Two New Hampshire cities are among the 10 best-run cities in the country, according to a WalletHub analysis of U.S. communities where residents get the most bang for their taxes. Manchester was rated No. 3, while Nashua was close behind at No. 5., based on a “Quality of Services” score that WalletHub developed using 36 metrics across six key service areas — financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure/pollution.
For the fourth consecutive year, New Hampshire took the top spot in a national ranking of child well-being.
Education issues have been front and center across New Hampshire this legislative session, with Republicans vowing to expand school choice and Democrats fighting to prioritize public education.
The recently formed New Hampshire Forum has been whittling down — from 18 to four to one or two — important issues that will be addressed in the 2027 session of the state Legislature.
State lawmakers reached an agreement Thursday, May 28, on a bill that would authorize parents to enroll their children in any public school in New Hampshire, but Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she would not sign the legislation if it reaches her desk.
NH is getting older, employers need talent; higher ed can help retain, attract more students here
With the number of applications down and a demographic cliff looming over higher education, administrators at the University of New Hampshire projected earlier this year that they would enroll about 100 fewer students this coming fall than last year.
ApprenticeshipNH, a workforce training program of the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH), LandVest, a national leader in integrated real estate, land investment and forest management services, have partnered to create a new Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) to meet growing workforce needs for LandVest’s Forest Management division.
There is a critical need in the Granite State for nurses, and the market has responded with more supply, with more interest than ever in nursing.
