Possibly New Hampshire? (Goffstown: sales, homes, job market)

[CraftingMom]

Hello Everyone and Happy Autumn! We (our family of 4 ) are looking into possibly moving to New Hampshire. We have explored the area before, mostly Southern NH, on vacation. As a whole we love the area, the atmosphere, and the wonderful residents that we have encountered. Yet, I still find myself asking, Is it possible?

How is the job market?
The Healthcare?
How about openess to new comers?
I have read awesome reviews on the school system, So I am assuming that it is good.

Please leave your advice, info, or even just Why you Like/ Dislike NH ...

Here is a bit of background on us:

We are a young family of 4 (In our late 20's with 2 young boys) whom absolutely love the area's charm and the "Live free or Die" state of mind is not to shabby either. We would most likely need to live within roughly 45 minutes to one of the cities. I myself am still in school for Elementary Education. However, I do work from home as a web designer and dabble in furniture restoration / creation. As for my husband, he has his degree in Human Services / Criminal Justice. Thus, Law Enforcement, Corrections, or Fire Fighting are our long term goal options. But, I know that each department takes time for academy entrance. For now, we are pretty open as he has dirtied his hands in many fields Driving, Construction, Moving, etc... So any of the above fields with his experience or degree will do to get us settled in the area.

And I forgot to mention (We are are currently residing in Central FL (1.5years) But are homesick for the North East)

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[seamusnh]

The job market is pretty good compared to most places in the US, but it does depend on what you do...

As for health care, it is excellent. Boston is one of the leading health care cities in the US. NH has Dartmouth Hitchcock and many other good hospitals. My wife works in healthcare...

NH is much more open to newcomers than MA. It seems as if most people in NH are from somewhere else.

The school systems are good, but it varies from town to town. I have had two kids go through the public schools and on to college successfully. The third princess is a junior in high school. It does seem that most of my relatives and friends in MA send their kids to private school from 7th or 9th grade onward...

Overall, southern NH is a great place to raise a family.

[unit731]

Statistics show that NH has a lower unemployment rate.

Many of the jobs are low paying unskilled jobs. Tourist service jobs. Carpenter jobs. Construction jobs.

Some of the construction contractors don't actually hire workers as employees. The carpenters are independent sub contractors.

There are schools in New Hampshire. Pubic and private. So there are teaching jobs. If still in school take as many courses as possible so that you can get certified in as many subjects as possible and as many grades as possible. Each New England state has some sort of reciprocity. But each state will interpret your education degree differently. Last time I checked, the state of Maine required an all day test - to get certified. A masters degree is now required in most states to teach in public schools. You can get a waiver to teach with a bachelors degree as long as you are enrolled in a masters program someplace.

The two state prisons used to be easy to obtain employment as the pay is just above minimum wage and there was a high turnover. Not sure presently. There is or was a third state prison for women in Goffstown - but was slated to close. Not sure if that is still open.

Many of the jobs in NH are low paying without benefits.

NH is the "live free or die" state. Yes it is. No seat belt required. No motorcycle helmet required. No sales tax. No income tax. There is a room and meals tax and a tax on capital gains. The state relies on many fees that are not called a tax.

There are many beautiful homes in many nice communities. But get off the beaten path and you will find many that live in shacks.

Best for one of the bread winners to obtain a good paying job before just moving here and looking.