The high cost of child care
A June 2 report by the New Hampshire Financial Policy Institute confirmed what parents have been very well aware of already: child care is expensive. “The average price of child care in New Hampshire in 2025 remains high for Granite State families,” the report stated. “The average price of care for an infant and toddler in center-based care was $16,462 and $15,262, respectively, in 2025. For home-based care, the 2025 average price was $12,017 for an infant and $11,732 for a toddler.” For a married couple with two children under 5, the report read, child care costs could easily amount to 25 percent of household income. For a single parent, it might eat up 61 percent of income.
QOL score: -1
Comment: The NHFPI report stated that the cost of child care in the state has grown quickly. “From 2017 to 2025, the average enrollment price of center-based care and home-based care increased 32% and 30%, respectively,” it read. “The largest increase in tuition prices during this period was 33% for toddlers and 4-year-olds in center-based care, as well as for 4-year-olds in home-based care. These increases in tuition prices outpaced inflation during the same period.” Visit nhfpi.org/blog.
New art in Nashua
For Nashua, one of the benefits of hosting the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium each spring is receiving new public sculptures each year. “This is the 19th year of our symposium,” said Sculpture Symposium president Gail Moriarty in a telephone interview with The Hippo. “There are four new sculptures this year, for a total of 60.”
QOL score: +1
Comment: Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org for a map to all the sculptures as well as a photo of each sculpture and a bit about the artist and the work.
NH is OK
In honor of 603 Day, the New Hampshire Financial Policy Institute released a report on June 2 listing five reasons to be optimistic about the state’s future. (1) Housing price increases are slowing. A little. In some places. “From 2024 to 2025, the statewide median price increased by 3.9 percent, the smallest annual gain since 2016,” the report read. (2) Drug-related deaths have declined. By 33.4 percent over the past 10 years, and 10.8 percent between 2024 and 2025. (3) Projected first-year enrollment at UNH has increased. By just over 4 percent this year. (4) Child poverty was cut in half during Covid. “While child poverty has since rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, prior declines underscore the importance of governmental assistance during the pandemic,” the report read. And finally, (5), our roads and bridges have improved. “In 2025, 53% of State-owned [roads] rated as Good and only about 1% of roads were rated as Very Poor, “ the report stated.
QOL score: +1
Comment: Visit nhfpi.org/blog for more context and nuance.
QOL score last week: 47
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 48
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
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