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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 against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes in Manchester is $413,800 (Census ACS 2024; owner estimates, not sale prices). The FHFA House Price Index shows New Hampshire prices up 3.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026, and 46.1% over five years. On that price, New Hampshire's real estate transfer tax comes to $3,103.50 for each of buyer and seller, before any county or city tax. Selling a main home you owned and lived in for 2 of the last 5 years, the first $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly) is excluded from federal income tax (IRS Publication 523).

Calculate for Manchester

If you buy

New Hampshire state transfer tax

Real estate transfer tax (RSA 78-B): $0.75 per $100 of price or consideration, or fractional part of $100, owed by each of buyer and seller (combined $1.50 per $100). Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$413,800
State transfer tax, for each of buyer and seller$3,103.50
Share of the price0.75% of the price
Who paysShared by buyer and seller

Default price: the Manchester median value of owner-occupied homes, $413,800 (Census ACS 2024). Rule: Per party: divide the price by $100, round up to the next whole unit, multiply by $0.75, rounded to the nearest whole dollar. Buyer and seller each owe this amount, so the combined tax is double. Minimum tax of $20 where the price is $4,000 or less. Who pays: The statute makes both purchaser and seller buy the tax stamps and applies the rate to both (RSA 78-B:4), so each pays $0.75 per $100. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. New Hampshire transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: New Hampshire state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

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.

AreaMedian 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).

Area1-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 rate2025 (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

Professionals by sector of Manchester

Who licenses each trade in New Hampshire

New Hampshire · All states · Federal guides