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Cliff-Zone Families
20,466
Total Wage Suppression
$14.9M
State Avg Cliff Zone
10.3%
The benefits cliff — sometimes called the welfare cliff or cliff effect — occurs when families lose public benefits faster than they can replace them through increased earnings. In New Hampshire, an estimated 20,466 families across 10 counties earn between 100–200% of the Federal Poverty Level, where benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and housing assistance phase out. The CLIFF Index measures this exposure at the county level, including peak marginal effective tax rates, wage suppression estimates, and advancement thresholds. Click any county below for the full diagnostic report.
| CountyCounty↕ | PopulationPopulation↕ | Cliff Zone %Cliff Zone %↕ | Families AffectedFamilies↓ | Wage SuppressionWage Gap↕ | Peak METRPeak METR↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County | 426,378 | 9.9% | 6,492 | $4.7M | 560% |
| Rockingham County | 319,082 | 7.2% | 3,537 | $2.6M | 560% |
| Merrimack County | 155,967 | 10.5% | 2,311 | $1.7M | 560% |
| Strafford County | 132,575 | 11.5% | 1,872 | $1.4M | 560% |
| Grafton County | 92,120 | 12.3% | 1,495 | $1.1M | 560% |
| Cheshire County | 77,297 | 12.7% | 1,352 | $984K | 560% |
| Belknap County | 64,659 | 10.7% | 1,031 | $751K | 560% |
| Sullivan County | 43,715 | 15.8% | 868 | $632K | 560% |
| Carroll County | 51,804 | 12.8% | 846 | $616K | 560% |
| Coos County | 31,271 | 18.8% | 662 | $482K | 560% |
10 of 10 counties shown. Click any county for full diagnostic.