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What are the pros and cons of living in New Hampshire? Please help this Midwesterner out with his curiosity. I will be thankful for any and all replies.
The winters are just a bit harsher than in Mokena. Otherwise the weather isn't much different. Terrain is more rugged, we have actual mountains. Much of the state is forested, and population density is very low outside of a handful of small cities; New Hampshire is ten times as big as Will County, IL but has only about double the population. For historical reasons and because of the population density, NH has a "presumption of access", you can walk through the woods freely and enter privately owned woodland without explicit permission unless it is posted against trespass.
Because the state discourages career politicians (NH state senate pays $100/year, while Illinois pays $67,000/year) and isn't dominated by a single big city, the laws and politics are very different from many other states. Our tax situation is entirely different than Illinois, with no income or sales tax. New Hampshire was ranked the "least corrupt" state in the USA.
Are these Pros or Cons? Depends on your point of view.
What are the pros and cons of living in New Hampshire? Please help this Midwesterner out with his curiosity. I will be thankful for any and all replies.
Pros: Far lower tax burden than Illinois (with exception of property taxes and dependent on town). Google tax rate NH by town and see the differences. National forest, state forest, conservation lands, and great access to the outdoors compared to many other states. A nice selection of smaller towns that aren't falling apart compared to small towns in many other states. An educational attainment level, median household income level, and overall health of the population that is above the national average.
Cons: High energy costs, higher utility costs, high property taxes, not many good paying jobs in much of the state outside of the Seacoast and Merrimack Valley corridor. Not as many jobs in more specialized career fields, but that is a common theme in many states that are rural in character overall.
NH is a high quality of life state and I plan to be back eventually, I just don't know when that will be at this time.
What are the pros and cons of living in New Hampshire? Please help this Midwesterner out with his curiosity. I will be thankful for any and all replies.
NH is great for the self-employed and the wealthy. There is minimum support for the poor, needy and the elderly. That's a con, but others consider it a pro.
PRO:
(1) Most of the non-federal tax burden is at the town level giving ordinary residents the chance to voice an opinion and influence policy
(2) Roads are generally in good condition
(3) NH residents are still somewhat frugal and possess common sense
(4) State government is lean and there is no overwhelming bureaucracy
(5) Nature still exists here
(6) Political power is not entrenched in one party
(7) No one city exerts too much control over the state, unlike Massachusetts with Boston
(8) In most locales there is plenty of room for snow accumulation
(9) NH is not crowded
CON:
(1) NH shares a border with Massachusetts
(2) NH is Somewhat dependent on tourism
(3) High utility rates
I have some con's, but I realize they are more in relation to how I went about living here and where I lived than actual problems with the whole state of NH. So please bear that in mind as I give my list....
Cons: Ticks, high energy costs, bad cell phone coverage, not a lot of cultural diversity, bad roads, vehicle inspections.
Pros: Quiet, peaceful, beautiful geography, rich American history, good hearted and hard working people, awesome maple syrup, no sales tax.
Pro: Simple and mostly human-readable state laws. Minimal firearms laws, zero knife laws.
Pro: Free State Project, working to delete even more state laws.
Con: Free Keene and the other hangers-on of the Free State Project
Pro: Statewide pre-emption taking many powers away from town government and police chiefs.
Con: Extremist police chiefs such as Concord's Chief John Duval.
Well I can tell you as a 7th generation family here in NH there's alot of cons.
Con - First off our winters are brutal. I'm talking snot freezing cold with constant snow storms piling snow up to your roof.
Pro - don't worry winters only last 5 or 6 months.
Con - The bugs here are brutal. The mosquitoes are the size of humming birds and the black flies are as thick as the fog in the upper valley.
Pro - no children have been reported to have been carried off by mosquitoes yet this season.
Con - Too many mountains and forested areas. To many lakes, rivers, ponds and brooks.
Pro - After you get calluses on your hands the raking of leaves and splitting wood gets easier.
Con - Old Yankee families are really clicky and standoffish. We're not real friendly and don't trust folks from away.
Pro - It only takes 30 or 40 years before you're excepted as part of the local community.
Con - Lots of idiots carry guns around.
Pro - Lots of the rest of us carry guns around too.
I've repeatedly stated on this forum that I can't understand why anybody would intentionaly ever move to NH.
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Pros? Cons? You decide.
Pros and Cons
