Manchester, NH vs Phoenix, AZ
Moving from Manchester to Phoenix? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($526,340 → $448,352 median home) and taxes.
Manchester vs Phoenix at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Manchester, NH, you'd need about $99,104 in Phoenix, AZ (−$896).
Livability — Manchester, NH: 62 · Phoenix, AZ: 62 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 1,710 sqft in Manchester vs 2,063 sqft in Phoenix ($292 vs $242 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Manchester, NH | Phoenix, AZ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $25,632 | $20,904 | −$4,728 |
| Groceries | $4,935 | $4,919 | −$16 |
| Transportation | $2,955 | $3,960 | +$1,005 |
| Utilities | $2,940 | $1,668 | −$1,272 |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $1,800 | +$800 |
| Taxes | $6,681 | $7,280 | +$599 |
| Total | $44,143 | $40,531 | −$3,612 |
Side by side
| Metric | Manchester, NH | Phoenix, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 105.6 | 104.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.69% | 4.88% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.0% | 6.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 37 | 86 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $6.01 | $5.96 |
| Median home price | $526,340 | $448,352 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.5× | 5.6× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.2% | -1.7% |
| Price per square foot | $292 | $242 |
| Median rent | $2,136 | $1,742 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.6% | 9.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 0.00% | 8.38% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 2.50% |
| Property tax rate | 1.88% | 0.51% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $7,800 | $6,300 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $15,000 | $12,500 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.80% | 1.68% |
| Avg commute (min) | 27 | 27 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,000 | $1,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,200 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $650 | $550 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 27.2 | 15.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.25 | 3.60 |
| Violent crime /100k | 120 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 81 | 104 |
| Avg winter low °F | 10 | 41 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 2 |