NH Ranks Ninth for Fastest-Rising Mortgage Rates, WalletHub Study Finds
New Hampshire ranks ninth nationwide for the fastest-rising residential mortgage rates, according to a WalletHub study released Sept. 24.
The state’s rising borrowing costs compound an existing housing affordability crisis characterized by tight inventory and elevated purchase prices. WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo noted that the higher rates add to existing financial pressures for homeowners, placing New Hampshire eighth among states adding the most mortgage debt and seventh for the largest increase in mortgage delinquency.
Mortgage Rates Rise Across 37 States
Mortgage rates rose across 37 states between the first and second quarters of 2026.
The affordability squeeze is projected to persist. Analysts expect 30-year fixed mortgage interest rates to remain elevated in the mid-to-high 6% range through late 2026 and early 2027. Joshua Greenwald, president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors (NHAR), stated that while interest rates are not the sole deciding factor in buying or selling, they weigh heavily on a market already hampered by high prices and low supply. Greenwald, who owns Greenwald Realty Group in Keene, observed that homeowners must manage insurance, taxes, principal, and rising interest payments simultaneously.
High Property Taxes Weigh on New Hampshire Homes
High homeownership costs extend beyond mortgage financing. Lupo pointed out that New Hampshire maintains the fourth-highest real estate property tax rate in the country at 1.66%. This rate generates roughly $6,667 in annual taxes on a home valued at the state median.
Housing supply has shown incremental improvement, though it has failed to drive down prices. NHAR data indicates the median single-family home price reached $570,000 in September, essentially flat compared to August’s $569,500 but up from $535,000 in September 2025. Meanwhile, the median price for a townhouse or condominium stood at $415,000 in September, down from $435,000 in August but up from $406,500 the previous year. Manufactured homes recorded a median price of $157,450 in September, down from $181,200 in August and $165,000 in September 2025.
Active inventory reached 3,164 homes for sale in September, up from 3,099 in August, 2,653 in September 2025, and 1,495 in January. Despite the rising inventory, the months supply metric—measuring how long it would take to sell all active listings at the current pace—sat at three months in September, well below the balanced market threshold of four to six months, though up from 1.4 months in January.
Buyer Bargaining Power Versus Affordability
Nationwide, the surge in borrowing costs has tilted segments of the real estate market toward buyers, though that dynamic presents a paradox. As Newsweek reported, a buyers’ market describes bargaining power rather than actual affordability. Elevated mortgage rates have priced out a significant share of potential buyers, shrinking competition and leaving those who remain with increased leverage to negotiate on price, demand repairs, or request closing cost concessions.
Data from Redfin cited by Newsweek showed that sellers outnumbered buyers by nearly 58 percent in August, creating the widest gap in records dating back to 2013. Sellers have responded with concessions and price cuts, but these transactional advantages do not eliminate the primary barrier of financing a purchase at a roughly 7 percent interest rate.
In New Hampshire, Greenwald noted that some homeowners are still sitting on 2 to 3% interest rates.