As New Hampshire contends with an aging workforce, recent survey results point to an often overlooked factor in retaining younger residents: a lack of social connection and viable dating opportunities.
A new report from Stay Work Play, a nonprofit focused on attracting and retaining young people in New Hampshire, highlights growing dissatisfaction among residents aged 26 to 35, a key age group for the state’s long-term workforce and community vitality. While most 18 to 25-year-olds surveyed express optimism about staying in the state, satisfaction drops significantly for the next age bracket.
Corinne Benfield, executive director at Stay Work Play, said the cohort between ages 26 and 35 is crucial. “Young people are critical to the health of our economy, the health of our communities and the future longevity of our state,” Benfield said. The urgency stems in part from the fact that New Hampshire has the oldest workforce in the country, with 27% of workers aged 55 and older.
The survey results, collected earlier this year, show several reasons why some younger residents feel discouraged from staying. Chief among them are housing affordability, perceived lack of career opportunities, and limited social infrastructure—including dating.
One of the most significant shifts since the last Stay Work Play survey in 2023 is the increased concern around housing costs. Respondents expressed growing frustration with their ability to afford living in the state. Reports of housing affordability being a pain point jumped by 15 percentage points year over year.
At the same time, many young people believe professional advancement in New Hampshire does not keep pace with rising living expenses. About half of the 2025 respondents view career opportunities in the state as worse than those in other states. Benfield said this disparity between cost of living and wage growth is driving disillusionment, especially among those in their late 20s and early 30s struggling to reach milestones such as buying a home or starting a family.
Beyond practical costs, the survey points to a more personal factor: a lack of belonging. A noticeable share of participants reported feeling disconnected from their communities, citing challenges in making friends and building social ties. According to Benfield, this kind of disconnection can be a decisive influence when people consider relocating. “You’re not going to live in a place that you don’t have friends in,” she said. “If your friend moves across the country, that’s a risk factor for us when we’re looking at leakage of young talent.”
The dating scene also emerged as a surprising but tangible concern. Many younger residents say they struggle to meet potential partners in New Hampshire and sometimes even travel to neighboring cities like Boston to date. Benfield framed this factor as a real, if unconventional, barrier to retention. “Your friend goes to Boston and meets the love of their life—that’s where they move,” she said. “I’d rather they’d met the love of their life here in Concord or at the Seacoast.”
While solutions to dating-related retention challenges remain unclear, Benfield believes greater attention to community-building could help. The organization encourages local businesses, municipalities, and civic institutions to create avenues for younger residents to feel connected—personally and professionally. “The opportunity to enjoy your life, meet people, be in a crowd of like-minded individuals—it can’t go unnoticed,” she said.
The findings arrive as state leaders increasingly focus on workforce development. With projections showing older residents continuing to dominate the labor force, policymakers and employers alike face pressure to make New Hampshire viable—not just economically, but socially—for the next generation.
As state and local efforts to bolster housing and employment options continue, Stay Work Play hopes the conversation expands to include the human elements that influence whether young adults choose to stay. For many, that decision hinges not just on wages or real estate, but also on whether they feel at home—and whether they envision a future, personal and professional, in the place they live.
