101 Reasons You Should Move to New Hampshire (If You Love Liberty)

What are the prospects for achieving greater liberty where you currently live? If you are like many, the outlook is not good. The Free State Project offers a solution: join thousands of other liberty-lovers who are moving to New Hampshire, America's freest state, and working together there to achieve true liberty in our lifetime. Liberty is on the march in New Hampshire thanks to Free State Project participants and a great freedom-oriented political culture. If you care about liberty, we want you to be a part of bringing the ideas of liberty into practice.

The Free State Project seeks 20,000 pro-liberty activists to move to New Hampshire. We are looking for neighborly, productive, tolerant folks from all walks of life, of all ages, creeds, and colors who agree to the political philosophy that the maximum role of government is the protection life, liberty, and property. It exists at most to protect people’s rights, and should neither provide for people nor punish them for activities that interfere with no one else.

The purpose of this page is to highlight reasons why New Hampshire was chosen as the destination of the Free State Project and give you a sense of what you’ll be gaining by moving there. Topics covered are New Hampshire's government, politics, economy, geography, and quality of life.

Of course, there’s no substitute for experiencing New Hampshire and its pro-liberty activist community. If you are interested in visiting New Hampshire, talking with current participants and movers, or getting additional information about the Free State Project, please email us, call us at 888-377-2515, or post on our forum.

Government

# Reason Source
1 New Hampshire has no general sales tax. NH Department of Revenue Administration
2 New Hampshire has no general personal income tax. Dividends and interest are taxed at only 5%. Bankrate
3 New Hampshire state law prohibits the use of eminent domain for private use or private development. USA Today
4 New Hampshire offers some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation: no permit is required to open carry and a concealed carry permit is available on a shall issue basis. Pro-Gun New Hampshire
5 New Hampshire is the only state that does not have a mandatory seatbelt law for adults. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
6 New Hampshire is one of only four states that places no helmet restrictions on motorcyclists. Helmet Law Defense League
7 New Hampshire is the only state that does not mandate automobile insurance (though 89% of NH drivers have it). CarInsurance.com
8 New Hampshire has no capital gains tax. Area Development Online
9 New Hampshire legislators are only paid a salary of $100 per year, helping ensure the existence of a citizen legislature committed to public service, unlike every other state. National Conference of State Legislatures
10 New Hampshire has one of the smallest state bureaucracies. The Cato Institute
11 New Hampshire's constitution is one of only four state constitutions that expressly protect citizens’ right to revolution (Section 1, Article 10). State of New Hampshire
12 New Hampshire offers the best representation of any state in the nation with a 400-member House of Representatives for a population of 1.3 million people. Wikipedia - Government of New Hampshire
13 New Hampshire's unique Executive Council provides an additional check on the power of the Governor. Support of the independently elected five member council is required for state contracts over $5,000, high-level agency appointments, and pardons. Wikipedia - Executive Council of New Hampshire
14 New Hampshire has no inventory tax. Area Development Online
15 New Hampshire has no tax on machinery or equipment. Area Development Online
16 Reflecting New Hampshire’s relationship and openness to the public, the state capitol building has no metal detectors (and at 190 years old, is the oldest state house in continual use). The Ridley Report
17 New Hampshire is ranked 3rd for receiving the least federal spending as a percentage of federal taxes paid. The Tax Foundation
18 New Hampshire's constitution does not specifically prohibit secession. Now Public
19 New Hampshire is one of the few states that very lightly regulates raw milk sales. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
20 New Hampshire is the only state with no laws restricting knife ownership. Knife Rights
21 New Hampshire officials, from town clerks to the state governor, are accessible to the public and generally have a walk-right-in office policy.



Politics

# Reason Source
22 The Free State Project has been endorsed by many in the pro-liberty community, including Ron Paul, Penn Jillette, Peter Schiff, Lew Rockwell, and Walter Williams. In addition, the FSP has received support from Judge Andrew Napolitano, John Stossell and Neal Boortz. The Free State Project
23 New Hampshire culture still reflects its famous motto, Live Free or Die. State of New Hampshire
24 Fourteen Free Staters are currently serving as elected members of the State House of Representatives. Free Staters have been elected as Democrats and Republicans The Ridley Report
25 New Hampshire has many liberty-minded members in its state government unaffiliated with the Free State Project. New Hampshire Liberty Alliance
26 New Hampshire offers small, easy to canvass voting districts. Each member of the House of Representatives represents about 3,300 people. NationMaster.com
27 Dozens of successful, pro-liberty organizations have been created and reinforced, addressing education, taxes, guns, homeschooling, drugs, currency, and many other issues. Whatever your interest, you will likely find an existing group you can help or people willing to join you in the creation of a new one.
28 New Hampshire has several gun rights organizations (Gun Owners of New Hampshire, Second Amendment Sisters, and Pro-Gun New Hampshire to name a few) that successfully work to expand gun freedoms in NH and protect the state’s shall-issue concealed carry permit process and free open-carry laws. Free State Project
29 New Hampshire is awash with pro-liberty media. On the radio, there is Free Talk Live and the Katherine Albrecht Show. Local TV stations broadcast Shire TV and Capitol Access. Other NH-based media that spread liberty worldwide include the Liberty Radio Network, Anarchy In Your Head, The Liberty Conspiracy, Homeland Stupidity, the School Sucks podcast, and The Ridley Report. Free State Project
30 The NH Underground is an active, peaceful civil disobedience network. This group has organized activities such as conducting an open-carry litter pickup after curfew, filming police encounters, producing radio, television, and internet broadcasts. New Hampshire Underground
31 The New Hampshire Liberty Alliance (NHLA) is a non-partisan coalition working to increase personal freedom through education and political action. They actively lobby for and against legislation, rate legislators based on their pro- or anti-freedom voting records, and recruit and train liberty candidates. New Hampshire Liberty Alliance
32 New Hampshire has a large, politically active, and rapidly growing homeschooling population. New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition
33 New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary provides significant leverage in the national debate. Wikipedia - New Hampshire Primary
34 Communication with the NH liberty community is a phone call away. Through Porcupine 411, reports of speed traps and check points, political events, and news as-it-happens are recorded and broadcast via email as audio file attachments. Porcupine-411
35 New Hampshire allows for fusion candidates whereby an individual can be the listed on the ballot as the candidate for more than one party. Several Libertarians have been elected to office running as fusion Libertarians and Democrats or Republicans. Wikipedia - Electoral Fusion
36 Independent voters comprise 40% of the New Hampshire electorate, attesting to the citizens' spirit of independence and dissatisfaction with major parties. NH Government
37 New Hampshire has a long tradition of local control through town meetings, where town citizens vote on their budgets line-by-line, in the form of warrants. Wikipedia - Town Meeting
38 New Hampshire has an active jury nullification movement, which led to jury nullification bills passing the House three times. A bill finally became law in 2012. New Hampshire Freedom
39 In 2003, then-New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson signed up as a friend of the Free State Project. He publicly voiced his support for the Free State Project on numerous occasions. The Free State Project
40 Statewide officers in both the legislative and executive branches are elected every two years, giving voters the opportunity to clean house more often than in other states. Wikipedia - Elections in New Hampshire
41 New Hampshire local elections are mostly nonpartisan.
42 Mainstream newspapers and television stations have been receptive of and fair to the Free State Project. The Free State Project
43 The Libertarian Party and members of the Republican Liberty Caucus are very successful in New Hampshire. They have both won many state and local elections.
44 New Hampshire was the first state to adopt same-sex union legislation without a challenge to existing law. Marriage between two adults, regardless of gender, is now legal in New Hampshire. Union Leader
45 New Hampshire rejected the REAL ID (national identification card) program. Free State Project participants were crucial in securing this outcome. Reuters
46 Keene has become a hotbed for liberty media and activism in America. Free Keene



Economy

# Reason Source
47 New Hampshire offers the lowest tax burden as a percentage of gross income in the nation. PSNH
48 New Hampshire is friendly to small businesses and entrepreneurs. New Hampshire is frequently among the top 5 in nationwide rankings of business-friendly states.
49 New Hampshire's median household income of $63,942 is the highest in the country. US Census Bureau
50 Early FSP movers have taken advantage of the tremendous business climate in NH by starting a number of successful businesses, including bars/restaurants, a microbrewery, alternative currencies, construction companies, HVAC contractor/reseller, real estate practice, freedom-oriented bookstore, computer consulting, web hosting, radio/TV shows, and non-profit organizations.
51 The Free State Project community is gold/silver currency-friendly. As an example, Shire Silver is used by many FSP participants as an alternative currency. Shire Silver System
52 New Hampshire has a diverse economy, making it hospitable to movers from many lines of work. NashuaTelegraph
53 As of March 2011, NH unemployment is 5.2%; US average is 9.2%; NH is 4th lowest in the country. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
54 New Hampshire shares a border with Canada, facilitating international trade and travel.
55 Manchester ranks #2 on Kiplinger's list of Tax-Friendly Cities. Kiplinger
56 New Hampshire has the lowest percentage of residents and children living in poverty in the nation. US Census Bureau
57 New Hampshire offers 5 Free Trade Zones, including those at Manchester Airport and the Port of NH. NH Division of Ports & Harbors
58 New Hampshire's overall per-capita tax collection is $1,711, 2nd lowest in the nation Tax Foundation
59 Even though New Hampshire currently has the 4th lowest unemployment in the county, NH is also ranked 9th for the number of new jobs forecast for 2011. USA Today
60 Retail businesses benefit from proximity to Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Canada as residents shop in New Hampshire to benefit from the lack of sales tax.
61 New Hampshire receives the 3rd lowest farm subsidy dollars from the Federal Government, 0.1% of the total subsidy dollars handed out. Environmental Working Group
62 The Manchester-Nashua metro area ranks 1st on the Forbes List of America's 100 Cheapest Places To Live. Forbes
63 Portsmouth has the 10th lowest unemployment rate out of 369 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and thus is among the 30 Best Markets to Find a Job. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
64 New Hampshire is ranked 9th in the nation for percentage of high-tech jobs. TechAmerica
65 New Hampshire has a $0.196/gallon tax on gasoline; $1.68/pack of cigarettes; $0.30/gallon of beer; and zero tax on spirits and wine. These are among the lowest in the region. The Tax Foundation
66 New Hampshire has an active and diverse agricultural sector that ranges from livestock to dairy products to apples to flowers. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food



Geography & Environment

# Reason Source
67 New Hampshire's relatively small geographic size facilitates activism statewide and makes frequent collaboration and meetings among FSP members possible.
68 New Hampshire offers abundant water resources. The potential for water shortages in NH is insignificant. New Hampshire/Vermont Water Science Center
69 New Hampshire is considered at very low risk for hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and forest fires. Insurance Center Associates
70 New Hampshire offers outdoor activities throughout the year, including biking, bird watching, boating, camping, climbing, fishing, golfing, going to the beach, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, skate boarding, skiing, and snowmobiling. NH Outdoors
71 NH is a great place for hikers, boasting 48 mountains with peaks higher than 4,000 feet, access to the Appalachian Trail, and numerous trails of various distances and difficulties throughout the state. NH Outdoors
72 With its deep-water port on the Atlantic Ocean, NH has access to worldwide trade markets.
73 New Hampshire enjoys all four seasons. Fall foliage attracts tourists from all over; in winter, snow-related recreational activities are popular; spring brings blooming wildflowers and greenery galore; and in the summer, outdoor festivals abound.
74 New Hampshire's location allows the FSP to target the libertarian population living amongst the 13 million people in the other five New England states.
75 New Hampshire is home to the tallest mountain in the Northeast, Mt. Washington, affording 100-mile views of three states and Canada. The Mount Washington Observatory
76 Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey is the 3rd most-hiked mountain in the world. Mount Monadnock fan website
77 New Hampshire is a state with breathtaking beauty and scenery - the ocean, lakes, mountains, forests, rivers, picturesque New England towns, covered bridges, and historical homes.



Quality of Life

# Reason Source
78 New Hampshire has an active pro-liberty social community. Participants host weekly events like Social Sundays, Nashua Liberty Social, and holiday parties, along with weekly and monthly mixers. Your social calendar will always be full! NH Liberty Calendar and PorcCalendar
79 New Hampshire has been ranked #1 in the nation for quality of life and livability 5 years in a row. Congressional Quarterly
80 New Hampshire is the safest state in the country. CQ Press
81 New Hampshire is the 2nd healthiest state in the nation. America's Health Rankings
82 New Hampshire is ranked 1st for health care quality. Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
83 New Hampshire has the 3rd fewest fatalities per 100 million miles driven. Reason Foundation
84 New Hampshire is ranked 1st nationally in the index for child well-being. The Annie E. Casey Foundation
85 New Hampshire is the least expensive state in which to own a vehicle. Forbes
86 The annual New Hampshire Liberty Forum and Porcupine Freedom Festival attract hundreds of liberty lovers from around the country.
87 New Hampshire offers many private/non-government schooling options, including home schools, Montessori schools, Waldorf schools, religious schools, boarding schools, and traditional private high schools. GreatSchools
88 New Hampshire has the highest standard of living in the country (based on poverty rate 2007-2009) PSNH
89 New Hampshire residents rank #1 in knowledge of fundamental economics and financial concepts. FINRA Investor Education Foundation
90 New Hampshire has the lowest teen pregnancy rate. Guttmacher Institute
91 New Hampshire 4th graders ranked 1st place in a national science assessment test. NH Union Leader
92 New Hampshire offers hundreds of private, non-profit organizations ranging from food banks, to youth mentoring, to health services. NH Center for Nonprofits
93 New Hampshire is home to 23 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities, including Ivy League member, Dartmouth. New Hampshire also offers several trade schools. New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission
94 New Hampshire is home to people of all religions and as well as those who are non-religious. The New Hampshire population is among the most religiously tolerant, with 73% believing that other religions can lead to eternal life. Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
95 Air transportation to and from New Hampshire is facilitated by 118 registered airports, 64 registered heliports, and 6 registered sea plane bases. NH Department of Transportation
96 New Hampshire offers modern, extensive cellular and Internet infrastructures and statewide access to low-cost, high-speed Internet. Fiber Optics (FiOS) service available in select areas. New Hampshire Freedom
97 New Hampshire offers extraordinary opportunities for black bear, coyote, bobcats, moose, white-tailed deer, and beaver hunting as well as deep-sea, river, lake and even ice fishing. NH Department of Resources and Economic Development
98 In addition to many small and unique family-owned businesses, most large, national chain stores are within short driving distance.
99 New Hampshire has a plethora of gun clubs throughout the state. NH Fish and Game Department
100 New Hampshire offers an incredibly diverse mix of communities. Whether you are interested in living in a city, in the suburbs, on a farm, by the beach, in the mountains, or on a lake, you can find your dream home in New Hampshire.
101 Being in New Hampshire as part of the Free State Project offers the added benefit of knowing you are part of something historic. Rather than just talking about liberty and accepting your loss of freedoms, you will be an active participant in making history, achieving Liberty in Our Lifetime!

Be a part of it! Join the Free State Project today.