Photo: Bill Marrs · CC BY-SA 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Unity costs more to live in than 70% of U.S. towns
Up 13% in a year, 24% below the New Hampshire typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT micro area ($83K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Unity’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($83K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 19% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 40% of renters.
In dollars
- $386Ktypical home, 24% below the New Hampshire typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,760a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.3 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$83K, Lebanon-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Unity’s housing numbers say
Fewer people, more homes
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Unity lost 153 residents while 20 new homes were permitted. With 20% of homes used seasonally, part of the new building serves people who don’t live here year-round. New homes ↓
Values rose faster than New Hampshire’s over five years
The typical Unity home is up 53% in five years, against 36% across New Hampshire. Since October 2016 it has more than doubled, from $160K to $386K. Price trend ↓
A second-home town
20% of Unity’s homes are seasonal or vacation homes, empty for much of the year. Year-round rentals are scarce: there are 15 renter households. Property taxes ↓
Nearly every household owns
95% of Unity households own their home, against 73% across New Hampshire. There are only 15 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
A median income goes further next door
At Unity’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $299K falls short here but covers the typical home in Claremont ($279K). Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Unity’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Unity is more affordable than 30% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have outpaced New Hampshire: the typical Unity home is up 52.6% in five years, against 36.2% statewide (Zillow).
Up 52.6% in five years
Faster than New Hampshire (36.2%).
Show as a table
| January | Unity | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $160,000 | $246,000 |
| 2018 | $166,000 | $263,000 |
| 2019 | $176,000 | $277,000 |
| 2020 | $188,000 | $292,000 |
| 2021 | $221,000 | $334,000 |
| 2022 | $258,000 | $382,000 |
| 2023 | $301,000 | $428,000 |
| 2024 | $326,000 | $462,000 |
| 2025 | $348,000 | $491,000 |
| 2026 | $362,000 | $504,000 |
| September 2026 | $386,000 | $511,000 |
A typical Unity home worth $160K in October 2016 is worth about $386K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 23% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Unity’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $104K short of a typical Unity home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,760 a month here, $890 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Unity’s typical property tax (1.95% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,760
Renters already here pay a median of $1,625.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Sullivan County, NH): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Unity in 2025. The last year with any was 2018 (5 new homes).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Unity's population fell by 153 even though 20 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. 20% of Unity's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across New Hampshire: 1.8 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2017 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2016 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $166,000 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $166,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $309,000 |
| 2008 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $309,000 |
| 2007 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $515,000 |
| 2006 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2005 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2004 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2003 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2002 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2001 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2000 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $817,000 |
Unity's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $5,394, under the New Hampshire median of $6,667, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.95% a year, against 1.66% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Unity
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: New Hampshire, or New Hampshire. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity cents per kWh, homes | 26.6¢ | U.S. 18.3¢ | state | EIA, July 2026 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Unity vs. its neighbors
Of the 7 towns here with a Zillow value, Unity has the 7th-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unity | C | $386K | $276K | 1.95% | $1,760 |
| Charlestown | C | $304K | $228K | 2.26% | $1,710 |
| Claremont | C | $279K | $205K | 2.82% | $1,640 |
| Acworth | – | $340K | $273K | 1.72% | $1,740 |
| Newport | C | $325K | $226K | 2.50% | $1,930 |
| Lempster | B | $323K | $242K | 1.88% | $2,030 |
| Goshen | – | $381K | $256K | 1.86% | $2,390 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Unity
Is Unity expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Unity costs more than 70% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.3 years of the median household income of the Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT micro area ($83K).
How much does a house cost in Unity?
About $386K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 13.0% in a year. The New Hampshire typical home is $511K.
What salary do you need to live in Unity?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $114,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,650 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $70,000.
How much is rent in Unity?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,760 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,625 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Unity?
The median bill is $5,394 a year, 1.95% of the median home value (New Hampshire: $6,667, 1.66%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Unity going up?
Yes: up 13.0% in the past year and 52.6% in five years, against 36.2% across New Hampshire (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Unity buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.