How far does your money go in New Hampshire?

The Bureau of Economic Analysis has been analyzing the purchasing power of money in each state in the union, comparing the cost of goods and services  to determine how much the same amount of cash can buy you in a high-priced state versus a more affordable one. The Tax Foundation adapted the BEA’s research to measure how much $100 of goods at the national average price level would cost depending on where in the US you happen to live.

New Hampshire ranked as one of the most expensive states, coming 42nd in the nation with $100 purchasing an equivalent of $95.06. The priciest state was Hawaii, where $100 got you $85.62, though that state was beat out by the District of Columbia at $84.67. The most affordable state was Mississippi, where purchasing power equated to $115.34.

New Hampshire’s ranking was around the median for New England states, with Massachusetts and Connecticut coming in as more expensive but Vermont, Rhode Island and Maine more affordable.

The Tax Foundation did note that these figures did not take into account differences in average earnings. Many “more expensive” states also had higher average salaries—though they did note that the relationship between salaries and cost of living was not always straightforward.

The BEA made additional calculations along these lines to arrive at a state’s growth in “Real Personal Income”, taking into account both the rise or fall in average personal incomes in each state over the year and changes in price parity. This figure showed New Hampshire as having the highest real growth in personal income in the northeast in 2014, with a 3.2% increase, higher than the national average of 2.2%.