New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute

Senior Policy Analyst Nicole Heller was featured on WMUR-TV New Hampshire’s Business, covering highlights from our recently released analyses on the cost of child care, as well as the current state of the child care economy. https://lnkd.in/eCZu9Zpz

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has historically defined families paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing as “cost–burdened.” About one-third of renters in New Hampshire have annual incomes less than $35,000, based on 2018-2022 data. About 75 percent of these renter households are paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities, and approximately half owe more than 50 percent of their incomes for these costs.  View the full Data Byte here: https://lnkd.in/gBVDauVr 

The recent eligibility expansion for the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program helps ensure more New Hampshire families can afford child care prices, despite steep annual tuition increases. Since expanded eligibility of the program was implemented in January 2024, program enrollment has increased 10 percent, rising from 2,660 children in December 2023 to 2,927 in March 2024. View the full Data Byte here: https://lnkd.in/evnvCU4K 

New Hampshire’s median household income and average wages have not kept up with the rapidly rising cost of purchasing a house in New Hampshire since 2018. According to the most recent data available, the median household income in the state was about $90,000 in 2022, which was an increase of 20 percent from the median household income of about $75,000 in 2018. The median price of a single-family house grew faster during this time period, from $283,000 in 2018 to $440,000 in 2022, a 55.5 percent increase. View the full Data Byte here:  https://lnkd.in/eXz45VDb 

State officials are seeking to effectively reallocate flexible American Rescue Plan Act funds to avoid needing to return them to the federal government at the end of this year. While most of the funds have already been spent or are otherwise obligated to be spent, the State will have to take some additional action on the approximately $327.2 million that were, as of the end of March, at some risk of recoupment by the federal government before the end of 2024.  Learn more in our most recent blog post: https://lnkd.in/eFfmYznR 

As you may know, NH Gives is a special opportunity for NH nonprofits to shine light on their causes and ask for support. This year’s campaign starts at 5 pm on June 11th and ends at 5 pm on the 12th. We will send an email when the giving site opens. Like other nonprofits, we rely on the generosity of our supporters to allow us to produce and communicate meaningful analyses. Your donation helps NHFPI continue to produce critical research informing public policy in New Hampshire. Bookmark our page here.  Thank you for your continued support! https://lnkd.in/dCiZpiH

Senior Policy Analyst Nicole Heller will be featured on WMUR New Hampshire’s Business this Sunday at 6:40am and 8:40am, covering highlights from our recently released analyses on the cost of child care, as well as the current state of the child care economy. www.wmur.com

In 2023, the median hourly wage for a New Hampshire child care worker was $15.62 an hour. This equates to $32,490 annually, only $2,500 more than the 2023 federal poverty guideline for a family of four, and approximately half of the 2023 median salary for New Hampshire’s kindergarten teachers.  View the full Data Byte here: https://lnkd.in/gRq9dCvZ

New Hampshire families with an infant in center-based care paid an average annual tuition of $17,250 in 2023, according to recent estimates from Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA). Combined with preschooler tuition, which averaged $14,618 in 2023, Granite State families with two young kids faced center-based child care prices that amounted to nearly $32,000 a year. View the full Data Byte here: https://lnkd.in/eh2QRn4v

New Hampshire’s record-breaking house sale prices and high mortgage interest rates, along with expensive child care prices, mean families may need to devote a significant portion of their household income toward covering these two expenses. View the full Data Byte here: https://lnkd.in/eFSRSujN