Moving soon: What are the average expenses for a small family around Concord/Manchester? (Washington: section 8)

[CRioux13]

We are moving from Florida and will be looking to rent a small house or condo in the more rural areas around Concord or Manchester. It is currently my husband and I. I am wondering what are the expenses like in this area? electric, heat, amount taken out of paycheck, cable, internet, car insurance, groceries etc etc.... I would like to try to figure out what our expenses might look like before we move. Thanks!

[sezzam]

I imagine rental condos/apartments tend to be in or around cities, whereas houses tend to be in suburban/rural areas. A one bedroom condo/apartment in/near Concord/Manchester might run $700-$825.

There are plenty of nice neighborhoods just outside Manchester city (5-15 minutes drive to the city) where a couple could rent a decent apartment. I recommend a particular no-lease rental property located off Front Street that might fit your bill. (Forum rules prevent me from mentioning the property name here.)

Obviously, it is difficult to state average expenses, but here are some expenses for a fairly disciplined couple I happen to know very well:

* Electricity: $35 with two computers and one LED monitor that tend to run about 16 hours a day
* Heat: Most apartment rents include heat and hot water. Rental houses tend not to include heat or hot water.
* Amount taken out of paycheck: FICA, federal income taxes. No state/county/city deductions are made.
* Cable: $0-$30-$50-$100 depending on taste
* Internet: $40-$70 depending on quality of service
* Car insurance: $300 a year with decent coverage on an older car for two drivers with good history
* Groceries: Hard to be specific, but it is useful to know that living outside the city means you might need to drive 3-5 miles to get to a grocery store. Gas generally costs slightly higher than US average.

I recommend using an online tool to compare cost of living. Cost of Living Calculator: Compare the Cost of Living in Two Cities - CNNMoney is one such tool.

[buck naked]

1500 sq ft home.

$120 month in electric. - don't really use much, the electrical fees are about $50/month, but the transmission fees and other fees run around $70 per month. It runs around $100 in the summer months when I'm not running the pellet stoves.

Heat - pellets are cheap, but oil is currently $3.79 a gallon and it takes approximately 800 gallons to heat a NH home annually.

Cable - includes HBO and hs internet service - $179 month

Car Insurance - liability alone is $600/year - around $1500 for full coverage - (no accident history) - and if you care to take the risk, insurance is not required to drive in NH. You will need it though, if you plan to travel out of state.

Groceries - roughly $200 a week+-

While some apartments (especially section 8) include heat and hot water, it's not a given. The nicer apartments don't include those costs in the rent total. DD's rent at a huge complex included heat and hot water, but her rate was $1250 per month. She was one of the renters paying full price... Lots of section 8 renters. She moved to a beautifully renovated old building. Her rent is still $1200 for a two bedroom, but heat and electric are additional bills.

[lady fern]

I'm in a rental north of Concord. All utilities are paid by us. Probably could have found a better deal but only wanted something short term.

Heat - going to depend on source. We don't have a woodstove and mostly use a propane heater. Paid around $200 for 2 months of fuel. The condo is 1100 sq/ft and has average to poor insulation for this climate.

Electric - I feel like this is pretty costly in New England coming from Washington state. Last bill was around $80 and we rarely use the electric heat and don't have a microwave or dishwasher but do run a computer with 2 monitors and charge a laptop. Our water heater is run off of the electric.

Groceries - well that depends on what you are buying. We currently buy a lot of produce and are willing to pay more for organic, free range eggs and grass fed beef. Last bill for 2 people (includes one with a hollow leg) was $180. This should last us just over a week.

Gas - The gas prices seem to be in the lower mid average range. Expect to fill up more often if you want to be rural. I drive about 20 minutes to go grocery shopping or go to work every day.

Comcast is the high speed internet provider in the area. Their rates can be found online. We seem to be paying exactly what we paid in Washington.