Rent in Keene?

[Russell Kanning]

The prices I have seen so far for apt.'s, in/around Keene, are about the same as where I live now. Perhaps its due to being a "college town".

Peterborough is even small ... isn't a college town ... but is even more expensive.

In NH the main factor is how far away the town is from Boston ... then there are smaller factors like how locals view those towns.

[Puke]

I pay $580 for a crappy studio apartment near the college. All utilities are included.
This is a lot higher than I would have paid in Arkansas.

[scudiac]

$700/mo for a 1br apartment sounds extremely expensive to me in a town of 22k.
Craigslist isn't very good for Keene or NH in general.   

depends on the location not the size of the town.
craigslist is pretty good in Keene .... considering it is only 22k

So, is property tax not an issue with rents?  A lot of people work here in Portland, but live in nearby Vancouver, WA to get around paying high Oregon property tax.  However, WA has a state sales tax while Oregon does not. 

[scudiac]

I pay $580 for a crappy studio apartment near the college. All utilities are included.
This is a lot higher than I would have paid in Arkansas.

$580 doesn't sound bad.  How many sqft?

[FTL_Ian]

$700/mo for a 1br apartment sounds extremely expensive to me in a town of 22k.  Is property tax the reason why it's so expensive?

Yes.

[Russell Kanning]

It is all in how you look at it. Rents would be cheaper if there were lower property taxes ... but that is not why they may be higher than what you are used to in portland.
Rents are much higher in LA and SF ..... but they have lower property taxes.
You can also find really cheap rents in parts of nh ..... even though they have higher taxes. It is mostly location.

[FTL_Ian]

It is all in how you look at it. Rents would be cheaper if there were lower property taxes ... but that is not why they may be higher than what you are used to in portland.
Rents are much higher in LA and SF ..... but they have lower property taxes.
You can also find really cheap rents in parts of nh ..... even though they have higher taxes. It is mostly location.

I would be able to cut rents by 25% on my duplex without these exorbitant property taxes.

[lastlady]

Rents are much higher in SF, although when I moved there in the early 90's is was super cheap compared to Los Angeles.

But in Los Angeles right now you can find many studios for 700 and many one bedrooms for 800 and up. As I prepare to move to NH and look into rent, I am shocked at how high it is. I was expecting rent to be much less in somewhere like Concord compared to LA and it doesn't appear to be the case.

[FTL_Ian]

Cost of living is lower in other areas, but landlords tend to make up all their property taxes by jacking up the rent.

[Russell Kanning]

things always look higher from long distance

[Kat Kanning]

Portland, OR...my hometown

[error]

Portland, OR...my hometown

I paid more to live in Sellwood than I do to live here!

[EJinCT]

I pay $580 for a crappy studio apartment near the college. All utilities are included.
This is a lot higher than I would have paid in Arkansas.

Without knowing all the particulars, that really does not seem too bad to me.

Nevermind the fact that you are no longer in AR. (= priceless) 

But in Los Angeles right now you can find many studios for 700 and many one bedrooms for 800 and up. As I prepare to move to NH and look into rent, I am shocked at how high it is.

I wouldn't move to El Lay if the rents were half that price. I lived in Oceanside and that was as close to LA as I ever wished to be. I also lived in Santa Cruz and even that was too close.



My take on rents in NH is; I would be more than willing to pay, what I would consider high rent, in exchange for all the freedoms and personal security gained.

[Dreepa]

Rents are much higher in LA and SF ..... but they have lower property taxes.

That is not necessarily true.

3 bedroom house in suburbs of SF  $600K  Property tax (controlled by state) ~$6500 plus income tax plus general sales tax
3 bedroom house in NH  $250K  Property tax $4000 - $6000 (depending on town)

[Puke]

$580 doesn't sound bad.  How many sqft?

It's about 200 sqft.
It is a pretty crappy place though. But I'm single and young, so meh.