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Buying a home in Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester median home value: $413,800 (Census ACS 2024). 2025 property tax rate: $20.24 per $1,000. State transfer tax: $0.75 per $100 for each side.

Checked on October 13, 2026 against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Manchester is $413,800, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. The City’s Assessors Office posts a 2025 property tax rate of $20.24 per $1,000 of assessed value. New Hampshire’s transfer tax is $0.75 per $100 of price, and RSA 78-B:4 applies it to both buyer and seller.

How much homes cost in Manchester

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners how much they think their home would sell for. The median of those answers is a useful benchmark, but it is not a sale price: it covers every owner-occupied home, including homes bought long ago. Our page on New Hampshire home prices explains the method in detail.

Area	Median value, 2024 (ACS)	Margin of error (90%)
City of Manchester	$413,800	±$21,249
Hillsborough County	$476,000	±$8,046
Manchester–Nashua metro area	$476,000	±$8,046
New Hampshire	$458,800	±$6,138
United States	$360,600	±$618

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, table B25077. The 2025 estimates are scheduled for October 29, 2026.

Are Manchester prices rising?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracks repeat sales of the same single-family homes. Its purchase-only, seasonally adjusted index, published August 25, 2026, has no series for the Manchester–Nashua area, so the table uses the state index and, for the metro area, FHFA’s separate all-transactions index (not seasonally adjusted, not comparable with the other rows).

Area	1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026)	5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026)
New Hampshire (purchase-only)	+3.1%	+46.1%
Manchester–Nashua (all-transactions)	+4.8%	+52.4%
United States (purchase-only)	+2.1%	+33.4%

Source: FHFA House Price Index quarterly files. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.

Closing costs at the median price

On top of the price, buyers and sellers pay closing costs: lender fees, the appraisal, the survey, recording fees and title insurance. Several of these depend on the loan and on the providers you choose, so there is no single official figure. The one cost that the law fixes is the state transfer tax, covered below.

For the rules, who usually pays each item and a worked example, see our guide to closing costs in New Hampshire.

Property tax in Manchester

The City of Manchester bills one property tax that covers city, school, state education and county costs. The Assessors Office posts a 2025 rate of $20.24 per $1,000 of assessed value. The rate has four parts:

Part of the rate	2025 (per $1,000)
Municipal	$10.04
Local education	$7.33
State education	$1.51
County	$1.36
Total	$20.24

Source: City of Manchester, Assessors Office, “Tax Rates”. The Tax Collector’s table lists $19.58 for 2024, so the 2025 rate is about 3.4% higher.

The Assessors Office also lists a 2025 “ratio” of 64.8%, and says the Department of Revenue Administration has not yet set the 2026 ratio. The 2026 rate is normally set by the State in October or November, according to the Tax Collector, so the rate on your bill may differ from the one above.

A worked example

This is an illustration, not a forecast. Take a home whose assessed value equals the ACS median, $413,800, with no exemption. At the 2025 rate:

$413,800 ÷ 1,000 × $20.24 = about $8,375 a year, or about $698 a month.

Your bill follows the assessed value on your property record, which can differ from the ACS median or from the price you pay. Exemptions lower the taxable value: the Assessors Office lists elderly exemptions of $156,000, $210,000 or $280,000 by age group, a $156,000 exemption for disabled and blind owners, and credits of $500 or more for veterans. Billing is semi-annual: the Tax Collector says the first bill is mailed in late May or early June and the second in mid to late November, each due 30 days later. See our New Hampshire property tax guide for appeals and exemptions, and our guide to escrow accounts to see how a lender can collect the tax monthly.

Transfer tax in Manchester

New Hampshire imposes a state tax on the transfer of real estate at $0.75 per $100, or fractional part thereof, of the price (RSA 78-B:1). Under RSA 78-B:4, both the purchaser and the seller pay it. The City of Manchester’s tax pages that we read describe property taxes only, and we found no local transfer tax.

On a $413,800 sale, that is 4,138 units of $100 at $0.75, or about $3,100 for each side. Details and exemptions are on our page about transfer tax in New Hampshire.

Help for first-time buyers in Manchester

New Hampshire Housing’s Home First program lists higher limits for Manchester than for most of Hillsborough County: income up to $158,100 (one or two people) or $184,500 (three or more), and a price up to $645,000 for a one-unit home. Manchester is also a targeted area, where the first-time buyer rule is waived. See our page on first-time buyer programs in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire guides for Manchester buyers

Frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in Manchester, NH?

The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Manchester at $413,800 (±$21,249). This is what owners think their home is worth, not the median sale price of recent sales.

Are home prices in Manchester going up?

FHFA’s purchase-only index shows New Hampshire prices up 3.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026. Its separate all-transactions index for the Manchester–Nashua area shows +4.8%. The two series use different methods.

What is the property tax rate in Manchester?

The City’s Assessors Office posts a 2025 rate of $20.24 per $1,000 of assessed value: municipal $10.04, local education $7.33, state education $1.51 and county $1.36. The 2026 rate is set by the State in the fall.

How much property tax would I pay on a median-priced home in Manchester?

On an assessed value of $413,800 with no exemption, the 2025 rate gives about $8,375 a year. Your bill depends on your home’s assessed value and on any exemptions.

Does Manchester have its own transfer tax?

We found none. The transfer tax is a state tax of $0.75 per $100 of price that both buyer and seller pay under RSA 78-B. On a $413,800 sale, each side pays about $3,100.

More New Hampshire guides

Sources

Table B25077, Median Value (Dollars), ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
2025 ACS Data Release Schedule (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
U.S. House Prices Rise 2.1 Percent Year over Year, Up 0.3 Percent Quarter over Quarter (FHFA, August 25, 2026) (consulted October 13, 2026)
FHFA House Price Index datasets, quarterly purchase-only and all-transactions indexes (consulted October 13, 2026)
Tax Rates (City of Manchester, Assessors Office) (consulted October 13, 2026)
Real Estate Process: property tax rates and billing (City of Manchester, Tax Collector) (consulted October 13, 2026)
Exemptions and Credits (City of Manchester, Assessors Office) (consulted October 13, 2026)
RSA 78-B:1, Transfer Tax (New Hampshire General Court) (consulted October 13, 2026)
RSA 78-B:4, Payment of Tax (New Hampshire General Court) (consulted October 13, 2026)
Home First Program Limits, effective July 6, 2026 (New Hampshire Housing) (consulted October 13, 2026)

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