Population, population, population- All of those people moving to NH create all that traffic. A lot of those people have moved there partly in response to an imaginary NH that exists on TV and existed in their childhood visits to vacation spots.

 A lot of people who enthuse about New Hampshire are not realizing that a lot of the things they like are vanishing. There is still a difference between NH and Massachusetts, but it is diminishing. New Hampshire used to be solidly Republican, but now they are trending mostly Democrat, which having a RINO governor does little to slow down. Of course, there is more respect for the 2nd Amendment, and less nanny-state foolishness. There is no law requiring helmets when riding motorbikes, and the COVID masking rules were less restrictive in NH. New Hampshire is now also, by my calculation as of two years ago, has a cost of living only 14% cheaper than Massachusetts, with 20% cheaper housing.
 In my little town, there is no curbside trash pickup, town water only if you live near downtown, and still some dirt roads. Also, no gas heat or gas stoves, not because of the environmental nuts, but because of lack of demand- propane stoves only.

There are some small towns in New Hampshire which have a downtown which is fairly dense, with a lot of things within easy walking or biking distance. I do not know about other parts of New Hampshire, but I my part of NH, such towns as Peterborough and Hillsborough, also Keene.

In southwest NH, around Keene, you get more of a Western Mass. accent- more upstate New York than Boston. People pronounce their Rs more, and you get a more nasal, Midwestern sound.

Since we are moving from Mass, we are already used to high costs- the worst thing about NH is the winters. We are only moving 80 miles away, but over that distance, year round average temperatures drop about 10 degrees.

No, I am retired. We are both planning to work in NH. The state income tax in MA is no picnic. Ironically, when rated to total tax burden, MA is no longer the worst, being outdone currently by such tax hells as California, New York, and New Jersey.