Comparator Pool
New England comparator pool — 17 peer municipalities
The RFP §3.B Market Analysis directs a market compensation study using comparable municipalities and relevant labor markets. Our pool layers three rings: NH size peers (Portsmouth, Lebanon, Claremont, Laconia, Rochester, Berlin, Franklin), NH regional anchors (Concord, Dover, Nashua, Manchester), and cross-state New England peers (Brattleboro VT, Rutland VT, Greenfield MA, Northampton MA, Bangor ME, Auburn ME). Each row in the chart below is keyed to that comparator's adopted FY 2026 / 2027 pay schedule and NH PELRB-filed CBA where applicable, with Keene = 100.
Comparator municipalities
17
Population range
8.7K – 116K
FTE range
110 – 1,200
Show base-salary index for:
| Municipality | Region / role | Population | Approx FTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Keene (self) | NH · Self (Cheshire County) | 23,047 | ~223 |
| City of Portsmouth | NH · Coastal size peer (Rockingham) | 21,956 | ~350 |
| City of Lebanon | NH · Upper Valley peer (Grafton) | 14,282 | ~220 |
| City of Claremont | NH · CT River peer (Sullivan) | 12,800 | ~180 |
| City of Laconia | NH · Lakes Region peer (Belknap) | 16,871 | ~220 |
| City of Dover | NH · Seacoast (Strafford) | 33,910 | ~400 |
| City of Rochester | NH · Seacoast (Strafford) | 33,530 | ~380 |
| City of Concord | NH · Capital region (Merrimack) | 44,606 | ~500 |
| City of Nashua | NH · Regional anchor (Hillsborough) | 91,322 | ~1,050 |
| City of Manchester | NH · Largest city (Hillsborough) | 115,644 | ~1,200 |
| City of Berlin | NH · North Country (Coos) | 9,425 | ~140 |
| City of Franklin | NH · Central peer (Merrimack) | 8,741 | ~110 |
| Town of Brattleboro | VT · CT River adjacent (Windham) | 12,184 | ~180 |
| City of Rutland | VT · Size peer (Rutland) | 15,807 | ~200 |
| City of Greenfield | MA · Pioneer Valley peer (Franklin) | 17,768 | ~220 |
| City of Northampton | MA · Pioneer Valley peer (Hampshire) | 29,571 | ~370 |
| City of Bangor | ME · Regional anchor (Penobscot) | 31,753 | ~420 |
| City of Auburn | ME · Size peer (Androscoggin) | 24,061 | ~300 |
Three-ring methodology
A defensible NE-municipality comparator pool needs more than the closest size peers — those alone underweight what the broader New England labor market is actually paying. We layer NH size peers (7 municipalities of similar scale), NH regional anchors (4 larger cities Keene actually competes with for talent), and cross-state NE peers (6 VT/MA/ME municipalities) so internal equity gets its primary anchor from immediate peers and external competitiveness gets its anchor from the broader regional labor market — including the Massachusetts Pioneer Valley cities that draw NH talent across the border.
Authoritative sources, not vendor surveys
Every dollar in the comparator database comes from each municipality's adopted Pay Schedule (public record) or its FY 2026 / 2027 Personnel Schedule attached to the Adopted Budget. Where bargaining-unit pay applies, we cross-reference NH PELRB-filed CBAs for confirmed top-step. NH Local Government Center (LGC) wage data provides statewide percentile context. We do not buy proprietary survey data — every figure is sourced and reproducible by the City's HR Director after the engagement.
Index figures illustrative pending production salary-schedule pull. Final values reconciled against each comparator's most recent adopted schedule at engagement award.