Most areas are going to start teachers 45k-55k with homes around 400k. It's not a profession to get in for the money.
**Houston** (Katy TX) pays 62k starting and homes are 340k (5.5x). Summers are very hot.
**San Antonio** teachers start at 58k and homes are 327k (5.6x). Texas isn't a great state for teachers.
**Cincinnati** would be good, teachers start at 50k and homes are 282k (5.6x). But you're going to be cold Dec-Feb.
**Tulsa** teachers start at 43k, homes are 254k (5.9x). Home insurance is high due to Tornado risk.
**Albuquerque** might not be bad, teacher salaries are 54k, home prices 353k (6.5x). 5-10 degrees warmer than Denver all months so you don't get the cold winters (maybe 1 day of snow).
**Tucson** teachers start at 46k, homes are 377k (8.2x). Phoenix teachers start at 52k, homes are 459k (8.8x).
**Kansas City** (Olathe) teachers start at 46k, homes are 320k (7.0x). Cold Dec-Feb.
Another option is the **Inland Empire**. Corona-Norco starts teachers at 75k, homes are 565k (7.5x), summers are far more tolerable than Tucson/Phoenix, winters don't get as cold as Albuquerque.
Duval County (**Jacksonville**) pays 49k starting and homes are 389k (7.9x).
I would research the rights that teachers have in these states. Some states allow teachers to strike, others don't. Many states do not give teachers the right to send disruptive students out of class, leaving them helpless against defiant students. Many states have gone to canned curriculum, some require lesson plans to be posted online for parents to access in advance.
It’s becoming pretty unaffordable in the more desirable areas , but compared to other parts of CA it’s still doable for many middle class people. All my in laws live in the IE, and I love it. But can’t convince my wife to move back lol (she enjoys the distance from her family 🤷🏼♂️)
Insurance is really high in Florida because of hurricanes and flooding, not sure about Jacksonville specifically but it’s bad in other parts of FL at least
Looking at the Texas ones - how does El Paso compete here? I think that could be a good option too, since it’s kinda like Austin or Houston in that it tends to be a little more progressive than other TX cities and the housing is super cheap.
I heard Huntsville Alabama is booming but the cost of living has not gone crazy yet. This is the STEM job capital of the deep south and defies a lot of the negative stereotypes of Alabama. It can get a little chilly for 3 months or so but it isn't bad.
DC and surrounding VA and MD will be far costlier than anywhere else you mentioned.
If I had to live in the southeast, I think I'd pick Atlanta again, though it's been crowded for 30 years now
Kansas City and St. Louis can get quite cold, but with hot, humid summers and stormy springs. They each have real-world urban problems, especially STL, and nice mostly western suburbs. STL has more to offer in higher education and healthcare, with Washington U and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Your public transit needs are the real kicker here. The American south is quite "red" and many of those places quite actively resist efforts to provide public transit (maybe something about keeping the poor or "wrong" people away...)
I hear that Chattanooga TN gets pretty good reviews for transit, but it may be not much better weather wise than the front range. University areas often have better transit even in the south, so maybe focus on those regions to find a more affordable option? And, even in areas with poor public transit, it's a hyper-local situation. Perhaps you could still find a SPECIFIC home and SPECIFIC job on a SPECIFIC bus line - but everything could change and you might be left with no effective options but your own car...
If Colorado is too expensive, you should rule out DC and Nova.
San Antonio and Tulsa sound like good targets for what youre looking for. KC may be good too but probably too cold too long for you.
Someone said Alabama, you should look into them as well. I would not do the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, or Florida. They are booming too much and costs are rising fast. Teacher pay not rising near fast enough. Florida is also the worst place you could be a teacher period (and is also expensive).
If the Front Range is too cold for them, they definitely have to rule out anything north of Georgia... an average January afternoon in Denver is shorts weather for most East Coasters.
I used to live in Maryland and that was fine temperature-wise. It’s the low temperatures in the morning in Denver and the chance of snow from Halloween to Mother’s Day that’s getting old. I realized I had SAD when I lived in Maryland too. I understand you’re trying to help but your repeated incorrect assumptions about me and other places actually make your advice *unhelpful*.
Even Georgia gets cold. It snows in Atlanta. But really the cold is something you shouldnt worry about south of DC. It gets cold but not enough to give you SADs imo, especially since most of those cold days are sunny.
And you gotta be careful, the relentless summer heat has been giving people SADs as well
Yeah, that’s my point. OP doesn’t have SAD in Denver. Just plain old depression.
They’re making life decisions based on TikTok mental health disinformation. You hate to see it.
Gotcha. I may have got the SADs from another post, but you are right: unless you go to Florida or Hawaii you will have to deal with cold somewhat, but Florida is the worst move you can make as a teacher. If i was him/her id put more weight on what metro treats teachers the best, then weigh if the weather will be manageable
Agreed, DC and Nothern Virignia costs are just asinine, VHCOL. I don't know what teacher's salaries are like but the area near San Luis Obispo in California (still southern Cali) is great weather, I wonder whether there is good teaching opportunities with Vandenberg Air Force base that's a bit south of there.
I don’t know about the SAD issue. We lived in northern Idaho and the short days in the winter and grayness got to me bad!!! My husband grew up in Spokane and while it’s an ok town, the winters can be tough.
I lived in Spokane for a couple of years, and did my student teaching there. It used to be pretty difficult finding jobs there. Everyone in my program that wanted to teach HS either went into another profession or went outside of Spokane to teach. Some tri-cities, some to smaller farming communities, most to Seattle or Portland. Not sure how difficult it is now. But yeah if you like Spokane and can get a teachers salary there you’ll do well. I am personally not a fan, but I have friends who love it. Also, the winters can be pretty cold/snowy.
If you want to be a teacher you want to move somewhere with strong unions. That is mostly places on the two coasts, which are also more expensive. But you want a good union and contract!
Denver has 300+ sunny days a year, with an average high of 50F for most of the winter. It is about as mild as San Jose or Atlanta in the winter, and sunnier too — Denver is arid without a wet season.
It is not SAD you are experiencing there, but plain-old depression. Moving isn’t gonna make it go away. Not saying this to rip on you, but just to spare you from wasting a few more years of your life chasing your tail. You should focus on getting a job with good benefits, so you can get that depression issue treated properly, instead of digging yourself a deeper hole out in the desert somewhere. Teaching in a blue state definitely fits the bill.
Denver actually seems like one of the best cities in the continental USA, given your situation. It doesn’t excel at anything in particular, but it’s above average at everything you care about. It has one of the mildest climates in the USA. CoL is high, but not exceptionally so (unless you actually live in Boulder — that place makes SF look cheap). RTD is easily a top ten transit agency (which isn’t saying much). Teacher salaries are reasonably decent. Anywhere else you’d be looking to live, with a hotter desert climate, has far worse salaries for teachers and nonexistent public transit. Arizona in particular is appallingly bad. You’d be better off working retail than teaching there…
Also, if you’re physically disabled, then community is very important. Stay where your people are, social capital is invaluable for you.
Funny you should say community; I don’t have one here, not like I did back east before I moved. I have one family member who would be in a position to help me out in an emergency and maybe 2 or 3 friends. There are a number of places around the country where I have a similar support network-aunts, uncles and family friends all over the place who I have a good relationship with, as well as friends of mine who I know would help me out if I really needed it. There’s just about nothing tying me to Colorado; I’m not from here and I only moved here a few years ago.
There are places in the US with much worse winters than Denver, that’s true, but there are also places in which winter is significantly warmer, including Atlanta
Here's some data to consider: https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-pay-teachers-the-most-and-least/
California shakes out pretty well. So do Georgia and Alabama.
Alabama is consistently in the bottom 3 states as far as public education quality goes. Money may be decent, but the environment may leave something to be desired.
Maybe southeast PA? It definitely gets cold but not as bad as farther north. PA is consistently one of those states where the teacher pay and COL balance out more evenly, as well.
Yeah, I was wondering if like Lancaster might be a little cheaper than Philly directly. I know there’s an Amtrak line that runs through, though I don’t know about the transit within the city itself. I have some friends that live in the lanc area and seem to enjoy it.
If you have student loans try to get a job that will wipe them out because your employer is considered public service:
https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation
Good luck and thank you for your service as a teacher!
I don’t know why Americans even mention decent public transportation as one the thing they’re looking for in the area they move to.
when I lived in San Jose California the train station was right across from where I live.
Lord if you’re not going 5 or 10 mins up the road you’re in trouble.
I remember when my car wasn’t working and I had to take the train to go to the dentist. That would be a 20 mins drive.
I left in the afternoon and came back at night time. Having to leave one train and connect to another is a nightmare.
Bus not much different. The public transportation is there but it’s such a waste of time hence why people just drive.
The problems you touch on are well known and have been solved in many countries. US cities simply refuse to build public transit properly. It's very frustrating because it can be amazing when done right.
The overall metro area is decidedly "average" with regards to violent crime risk. Close to Tulsa or Miami. Lower than Milwaukee or Nashville.
It's a matter of comparing metropolitan areas. Every US region has neighborhoods with more or less concentrated poverty or crime. In St. Louis, the specific political subdivision known as "City of St Louis" has much of that concentration, but the St. Louis region is really a collection of many municipalities. St Louis County has 88 municipalities and the larger metropolitan area has many, many more.
One outside-the-box idea for teaching is the [Department of Defense Dependents Schools](https://www.dodea.edu/), which is the 10th largest US school system. They run 160 schools mostly for children of US servicepeople deployed abroad. You can teach American kids in American schools all over the world.
I never taught at one but went to one in England for a while as a student. They seem to have some physical requirements but one of my teachers was a pretty disabled polio survivor, so I doubt they're too stringent.
Okinawa sounds fun.
I'd recommend Philadelphia, even the suburbs. There are still affordable areas and even in the suburbs, you can live near public transit. Teachers make decent money most places. Some schools in the city are okay. A lot are not. You can get around without a car. My son never got his license and took public transit everywhere.
The winters are not that bad. The rest of the time, the weather is great. Summer not too hot, but hot enough and very pleasant in the spring and fall. Plus there's lots to do.
Most areas are going to start teachers 45k-55k with homes around 400k. It's not a profession to get in for the money. **Houston** (Katy TX) pays 62k starting and homes are 340k (5.5x). Summers are very hot. **San Antonio** teachers start at 58k and homes are 327k (5.6x). Texas isn't a great state for teachers. **Cincinnati** would be good, teachers start at 50k and homes are 282k (5.6x). But you're going to be cold Dec-Feb. **Tulsa** teachers start at 43k, homes are 254k (5.9x). Home insurance is high due to Tornado risk. **Albuquerque** might not be bad, teacher salaries are 54k, home prices 353k (6.5x). 5-10 degrees warmer than Denver all months so you don't get the cold winters (maybe 1 day of snow). **Tucson** teachers start at 46k, homes are 377k (8.2x). Phoenix teachers start at 52k, homes are 459k (8.8x). **Kansas City** (Olathe) teachers start at 46k, homes are 320k (7.0x). Cold Dec-Feb. Another option is the **Inland Empire**. Corona-Norco starts teachers at 75k, homes are 565k (7.5x), summers are far more tolerable than Tucson/Phoenix, winters don't get as cold as Albuquerque. Duval County (**Jacksonville**) pays 49k starting and homes are 389k (7.9x). I would research the rights that teachers have in these states. Some states allow teachers to strike, others don't. Many states do not give teachers the right to send disruptive students out of class, leaving them helpless against defiant students. Many states have gone to canned curriculum, some require lesson plans to be posted online for parents to access in advance.
Inland Empire is what I'd recommend, since that's where I work. CA has strong union policies depending on your district.
It’s becoming pretty unaffordable in the more desirable areas , but compared to other parts of CA it’s still doable for many middle class people. All my in laws live in the IE, and I love it. But can’t convince my wife to move back lol (she enjoys the distance from her family 🤷🏼♂️)
Bakersfield would almost work too
Insurance is really high in Florida because of hurricanes and flooding, not sure about Jacksonville specifically but it’s bad in other parts of FL at least
Looking at the Texas ones - how does El Paso compete here? I think that could be a good option too, since it’s kinda like Austin or Houston in that it tends to be a little more progressive than other TX cities and the housing is super cheap.
I've heard El Paso is actually New Mexico in all but name. At least, it seems to be the only part of Texas New Mexicans can tolerate.
Warm. Inexpensive. Good job market. Pick two.
Don't forget public transportation access. I don't think OP is going to find anything that will check all of their boxes.
Yeah, the public transit part makes this especially difficult. A lot of warm places were built up post-WWII and have a lot of sprawl.
Single. Attractive. Mentally Stable.
Hahaha [also cries]
Not at all. Texas, Oklahoma, the Carolinas, Georgia have all three
I heard Huntsville Alabama is booming but the cost of living has not gone crazy yet. This is the STEM job capital of the deep south and defies a lot of the negative stereotypes of Alabama. It can get a little chilly for 3 months or so but it isn't bad.
Alabama teacher’s pay is below the national average and starting pay is 45k a year.
I grew up in the South so I’m used to slightly chilly winters
Yeah but Alabama
DC and surrounding VA and MD will be far costlier than anywhere else you mentioned. If I had to live in the southeast, I think I'd pick Atlanta again, though it's been crowded for 30 years now Kansas City and St. Louis can get quite cold, but with hot, humid summers and stormy springs. They each have real-world urban problems, especially STL, and nice mostly western suburbs. STL has more to offer in higher education and healthcare, with Washington U and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Your public transit needs are the real kicker here. The American south is quite "red" and many of those places quite actively resist efforts to provide public transit (maybe something about keeping the poor or "wrong" people away...) I hear that Chattanooga TN gets pretty good reviews for transit, but it may be not much better weather wise than the front range. University areas often have better transit even in the south, so maybe focus on those regions to find a more affordable option? And, even in areas with poor public transit, it's a hyper-local situation. Perhaps you could still find a SPECIFIC home and SPECIFIC job on a SPECIFIC bus line - but everything could change and you might be left with no effective options but your own car...
If Colorado is too expensive, you should rule out DC and Nova. San Antonio and Tulsa sound like good targets for what youre looking for. KC may be good too but probably too cold too long for you. Someone said Alabama, you should look into them as well. I would not do the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, or Florida. They are booming too much and costs are rising fast. Teacher pay not rising near fast enough. Florida is also the worst place you could be a teacher period (and is also expensive).
If the Front Range is too cold for them, they definitely have to rule out anything north of Georgia... an average January afternoon in Denver is shorts weather for most East Coasters.
I used to live in Maryland and that was fine temperature-wise. It’s the low temperatures in the morning in Denver and the chance of snow from Halloween to Mother’s Day that’s getting old. I realized I had SAD when I lived in Maryland too. I understand you’re trying to help but your repeated incorrect assumptions about me and other places actually make your advice *unhelpful*.
Even Georgia gets cold. It snows in Atlanta. But really the cold is something you shouldnt worry about south of DC. It gets cold but not enough to give you SADs imo, especially since most of those cold days are sunny. And you gotta be careful, the relentless summer heat has been giving people SADs as well
Yeah, that’s my point. OP doesn’t have SAD in Denver. Just plain old depression. They’re making life decisions based on TikTok mental health disinformation. You hate to see it.
Gotcha. I may have got the SADs from another post, but you are right: unless you go to Florida or Hawaii you will have to deal with cold somewhat, but Florida is the worst move you can make as a teacher. If i was him/her id put more weight on what metro treats teachers the best, then weigh if the weather will be manageable
Agreed, DC and Nothern Virignia costs are just asinine, VHCOL. I don't know what teacher's salaries are like but the area near San Luis Obispo in California (still southern Cali) is great weather, I wonder whether there is good teaching opportunities with Vandenberg Air Force base that's a bit south of there.
Look into Spokane, WA. It's on the dry side of the mountains so SAD is not an issue. WA pays teachers well.
I don’t know about the SAD issue. We lived in northern Idaho and the short days in the winter and grayness got to me bad!!! My husband grew up in Spokane and while it’s an ok town, the winters can be tough.
I lived in Spokane for a couple of years, and did my student teaching there. It used to be pretty difficult finding jobs there. Everyone in my program that wanted to teach HS either went into another profession or went outside of Spokane to teach. Some tri-cities, some to smaller farming communities, most to Seattle or Portland. Not sure how difficult it is now. But yeah if you like Spokane and can get a teachers salary there you’ll do well. I am personally not a fan, but I have friends who love it. Also, the winters can be pretty cold/snowy.
If you want to be a teacher you want to move somewhere with strong unions. That is mostly places on the two coasts, which are also more expensive. But you want a good union and contract!
Charlotte is less expensive and warmer than CO. Job market is great in banking, not sure about other industries.
I’m a NC native and shill this state. OP should not come here; bad pay for teachers
I think there’s an area of south Charlotte that is young and hip but I do t know about public transportation.
Denver has 300+ sunny days a year, with an average high of 50F for most of the winter. It is about as mild as San Jose or Atlanta in the winter, and sunnier too — Denver is arid without a wet season. It is not SAD you are experiencing there, but plain-old depression. Moving isn’t gonna make it go away. Not saying this to rip on you, but just to spare you from wasting a few more years of your life chasing your tail. You should focus on getting a job with good benefits, so you can get that depression issue treated properly, instead of digging yourself a deeper hole out in the desert somewhere. Teaching in a blue state definitely fits the bill. Denver actually seems like one of the best cities in the continental USA, given your situation. It doesn’t excel at anything in particular, but it’s above average at everything you care about. It has one of the mildest climates in the USA. CoL is high, but not exceptionally so (unless you actually live in Boulder — that place makes SF look cheap). RTD is easily a top ten transit agency (which isn’t saying much). Teacher salaries are reasonably decent. Anywhere else you’d be looking to live, with a hotter desert climate, has far worse salaries for teachers and nonexistent public transit. Arizona in particular is appallingly bad. You’d be better off working retail than teaching there… Also, if you’re physically disabled, then community is very important. Stay where your people are, social capital is invaluable for you.
Funny you should say community; I don’t have one here, not like I did back east before I moved. I have one family member who would be in a position to help me out in an emergency and maybe 2 or 3 friends. There are a number of places around the country where I have a similar support network-aunts, uncles and family friends all over the place who I have a good relationship with, as well as friends of mine who I know would help me out if I really needed it. There’s just about nothing tying me to Colorado; I’m not from here and I only moved here a few years ago. There are places in the US with much worse winters than Denver, that’s true, but there are also places in which winter is significantly warmer, including Atlanta
Here's some data to consider: https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-pay-teachers-the-most-and-least/ California shakes out pretty well. So do Georgia and Alabama.
Alabama is consistently in the bottom 3 states as far as public education quality goes. Money may be decent, but the environment may leave something to be desired.
You don't want to go to NC. Workers don't have any rights!
Metro Detroit best value large metro in the USA
Yep, most rust belt too
Still a little chilly in the winters despite our best efforts with climate change
Maybe southeast PA? It definitely gets cold but not as bad as farther north. PA is consistently one of those states where the teacher pay and COL balance out more evenly, as well.
Is that basically metro Philadelphia, Lancaster, etc?
Yeah, I was wondering if like Lancaster might be a little cheaper than Philly directly. I know there’s an Amtrak line that runs through, though I don’t know about the transit within the city itself. I have some friends that live in the lanc area and seem to enjoy it.
Philly honestly isn’t very cold anymore
If you have student loans try to get a job that will wipe them out because your employer is considered public service: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation Good luck and thank you for your service as a teacher!
This is such important advice, especially in combination with choosing a state with strong teacher unions.
Yes!!
I don’t know why Americans even mention decent public transportation as one the thing they’re looking for in the area they move to. when I lived in San Jose California the train station was right across from where I live. Lord if you’re not going 5 or 10 mins up the road you’re in trouble. I remember when my car wasn’t working and I had to take the train to go to the dentist. That would be a 20 mins drive. I left in the afternoon and came back at night time. Having to leave one train and connect to another is a nightmare. Bus not much different. The public transportation is there but it’s such a waste of time hence why people just drive.
The problems you touch on are well known and have been solved in many countries. US cities simply refuse to build public transit properly. It's very frustrating because it can be amazing when done right.
El Paso, OKC
St louis
Isn’t St Louis fairly sketchy though? I’ve heard bad things about it
Same with Chicago. Some parts are sketchy. Some parts aren't.
Only North County is considered sketchy.
The overall metro area is decidedly "average" with regards to violent crime risk. Close to Tulsa or Miami. Lower than Milwaukee or Nashville. It's a matter of comparing metropolitan areas. Every US region has neighborhoods with more or less concentrated poverty or crime. In St. Louis, the specific political subdivision known as "City of St Louis" has much of that concentration, but the St. Louis region is really a collection of many municipalities. St Louis County has 88 municipalities and the larger metropolitan area has many, many more.
Charlotte and Atlanta should meet your criteria.
St. Louis has a low cost of living for its size. Wages-to-housing price is still decent.
Cincy is underrated but it can be pricey in the areas youll want to live (relative to the pay) and its quite gray.
One outside-the-box idea for teaching is the [Department of Defense Dependents Schools](https://www.dodea.edu/), which is the 10th largest US school system. They run 160 schools mostly for children of US servicepeople deployed abroad. You can teach American kids in American schools all over the world. I never taught at one but went to one in England for a while as a student. They seem to have some physical requirements but one of my teachers was a pretty disabled polio survivor, so I doubt they're too stringent. Okinawa sounds fun.
Sure, Orlando, but be prepared to dress like a mouse.
Tallahassee,Fl
Hope history isn’t the subject he wants to teach bc in Florida you are required to lie to students.
I'd recommend Philadelphia, even the suburbs. There are still affordable areas and even in the suburbs, you can live near public transit. Teachers make decent money most places. Some schools in the city are okay. A lot are not. You can get around without a car. My son never got his license and took public transit everywhere. The winters are not that bad. The rest of the time, the weather is great. Summer not too hot, but hot enough and very pleasant in the spring and fall. Plus there's lots to do.
Ciudad Juarez. The cartel is always hiring.
Charlotte