Cost of Living in Derry
Derry's cost-of-living picture is a real, genuine tradeoff this record discloses directly: no individual income tax and no general sales tax, alongside genuinely high property taxes and housing costs that run above (not below) the national comparison figure.
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Learn moreNo Income Tax, No Sales Tax -- A Real, Current, Confirmed Advantage
As detailed on the taxes topic page, New Hampshire real, currently levies no individual income tax and no general sales tax -- its Interest & Dividends Tax on unearned investment income was confirmed fully repealed effective for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, making New Hampshire the only U.S. state with neither tax at any level.
Property Tax Runs Genuinely High -- the Real Tradeoff Behind the Headline
As detailed on the property-taxes topic page, Derry's own cited effective property tax rate (~1.87%, Ownwell) runs approximately 83% above the ~1.02% national comparison figure this project uses consistently, and even somewhat above New Hampshire's own already-high statewide median (~1.82%). This record discloses this tradeoff directly rather than only touting the income/sales tax side.
Housing and Rent Run Above the National Comparison Figures
As detailed on the housing-market and renting topic pages, Zillow's cited average Derry home value (~$436,693) and Redfin's cited median sale price (~$459,750) both run roughly 7%-13% above the ~$408,776 national median sale price. RentCafe's cited average rent across all apartment types ran approximately $1,941/month as of August 2026.
Homeowners Insurance Runs Genuinely Below the National Average
As detailed on the homeowners-insurance topic page, New Hampshire is cited among the cheapest U.S. states for homeowners insurance, though this record could not confirm a Derry-specific citation distinct from statewide figures this pass.
Regional Framing Matters: Compare to Boston, Not Just the National Figure
This record's own research this pass found Derry's housing costs framed specifically against greater-Boston and eastern-Massachusetts prices (genuinely more affordable by that comparison) rather than against the U.S. national figure -- this record did not independently re-verify the specific Boston-area comparison figures to its own sourcing standard this pass, and movers should not read Derry as a nationally low-cost market on the national data this record could confirm.
Key takeaways
- New Hampshire's real, current tax structure has no individual income tax and no general sales tax, following the Interest & Dividends Tax's confirmed full repeal effective January 1, 2025.
- Derry's own effective property tax rate (~1.87%) runs approximately 83% above the national comparison figure -- the real tradeoff behind the no-income-tax headline.
- Derry's cited housing and rent figures both run above (not below) their respective national comparison figures -- a real, disclosed difference from several other markets in this project's dataset.
- Homeowners insurance runs genuinely below the national average, consistent with New Hampshire's broader statewide favorability on that cost.
- Derry's housing may read as comparatively affordable specifically versus greater Boston, but this record's confirmed data does not support calling it nationally low-cost.
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