Five Questions: What Matters in New Hampshire?
Gene Martin, Executive Director,
New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute
1. What are you seeing right now that you think people in New Hampshire should be paying more attention to?
People should pay attention to the gap between how well New Hampshire’s economy performs in rankings and the number of families struggling with the cost of living. While the state has a high median household income, that does not mean everyone is secure. Rising costs for housing, child care, health care, fuel and electricity are putting pressure on budgets because wages are not keeping pace.
2. What is the biggest challenge facing New Hampshire over the next few years?
The biggest challenge is closing the affordability gap so young families can stay here. With one of the oldest populations, we need to prioritize young people and families as the Baby Boom Generation exits the workforce. Young Granite Staters are not less motivated than their parents; they face a different economic reality. Even two working adults with college degrees can be priced out of homeownership, struggle with child care or delay health care.
This is not just a finance issue. If families cannot afford to live here, our workforce will shrink. Young people will leave and employers will struggle to hire.
3. What's happening in your industry that you think will have the biggest impact on New Hampshire?
Nonprofits are doing important work in New Hampshire, but we face challenges that may be more pronounced than in the private sector. When costs rise, a business can often raise its prices. Nonprofits generally cannot. We rely on philanthropy, grants and public funding while competing for employees with businesses that have more flexibility to increase wages and benefits.
Nonprofits account for about 14% of New Hampshire’s workforce. As affordability intensifies, it becomes harder to attract and retain talented people. Supporting a strong nonprofit sector supports New Hampshire’s workforce, economy and communities.
4. If you could change one thing about New Hampshire, what would it be?
I would change how we talk about economic security and the challenges people face. Too often, we frame financial struggles as individual choices rather than asking whether the economics still work. There is a false narrative that people should work harder, spend less and make better choices, ignoring that essentials such as housing, health care, child care and education have risen far faster than wages.
I envision a New Hampshire having a more honest conversation about what it takes for families to get ahead. That means asking whether a job provides enough income to afford a home, raise children, access health care and save.
5. What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone trying to succeed in New Hampshire today?
Learn about your community, show up and get involved. Aside from my family and job, I receive joy from my civic life. I love serving on local nonprofit boards, volunteering with my PTO and being an active member of the Manchester Lions Club.
Our lives are not summed up by professional accomplishments. They are also measured by the people we helped, organizations we strengthened and communities we made better.