One-Pager Published May 15, 2019

Opportunity Scorecard: New Hampshire

By:

Ryan Bhandari

Building off our Opportunity Index model, we looked at cost of living and wages paid across every region in the state to see how much opportunity there was for workers. Jobs fall into four categories: hardship jobs, living-wage jobs, middle-class jobs, and professional jobs.¹

Although New Hampshire performs better than the country writ large, statewide, only 42% of jobs support a middle class life or better and on average, individuals need $44,498 to get to a middle class life. But although the number of middle class jobs is a little higher than the nationwide average of 38%, every single metro and nonmetro area (and every county in the state) lost businesses between 2005 and 2015. The map above shows the makeup of jobs in every region in the state.² While the metropolitan areas in New Hampshire have 45% of their jobs that can be considered middle class or better, the same is true for only 39% of the jobs in rural New Hampshire.

Endnotes

For more information on Third Way’s Opportunity Index and job categories, please visit: https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-opportunity-index-ranking-opportunity-in-metropolitan-america. Hardship job: cannot support a single childless adult living by himself.

Living wage job: supports a single childless adult living in a two bedroom unit with another adult. This salary would cover health insurance, food, and basic necessities but no money for entertainment, vacation, savings, or retirement.

Middle class job: pays enough to support half the expenses for a family of four living a middle class life. This includes a three bedroom unit, food, health insurance, basic necessities and money for entertainment, vacation, savings, retirement, and childcare.

Professional class job: pays enough to support 75% of the expenses for a family living a comfortable middle class life. This includes a four bedroom unit and more money for food, entertainment, vacation, savings, and retirement.

[1] Because counties in New Hampshire often overlap several metropolitan areas, the exact placement of metropolitan areas might be a little bit off in the interactive map.
Because counties in New Hampshire often overlap several metropolitan areas, the exact placement of metropolitan areas might be a little bit off in the interactive map.