Looking into moving to Mass. Would love to hear about the good, the bad, the ugly of living in your wonderful state!

Submitted by InspectorFun1699 t3_11yglx4 in massachusetts

We’re at the baby stages of planning a move within the next 2 years or so. One is a teacher from rural areas, the other is a pediatric therapist from a big Midwestern city. Currently in coastal NC and wanting to get out for a better quality of life, cooler temps/actual seasons (we have 2 seasons) and more of a place that we fit in better. Eastern NC feels 85% hardcore pro-j6, anti science etc and Covid really highlighted how much I’m a fish out of water here. Am feeling very uneasy about the political climate here. We have protested, wrote our reps, worked in public education for 20 years, done a lot of volunteering and feel that it’s time to go somewhere where things don’t feel so. Dang. Hard.

Furthermore, it breaks our hearts that we have trans and POC family members that are now uncomfortable to visit us here due to their past experiences visiting us and seeing all the confederate flags, casual and open racism, homo- and trans-phobia.

I admire your infrastructure, social programs, relative progressiveness and am honestly jealous of the weather.

I was hoping you kind folks could name some small to midsize towns that are fairly affordable. Somewhere where it would be possible to have a decent sized yard for our many rescue pups. It would really help us start looking and get away from the moldy, humid armpit of ENC. We assume that’ll be in the western part of the state, which is great by us. I know rural vs urban is a big cultural divide but I imagine your rural/small town is probably less scary than southern rural.

I’m really in desperate need of some hope, please be kind, if possible. We know nowhere is perfect but we are decent people just wanting a better life for our family.

EDIT: some have asked about budget and our interests: it’s probably a pipe dream but hoping to buy for under $250,000 with a yard. I am in the extremely early stages of research and am trying but failing to wrap my head around that we’d probably make more than we do here so it might come out in the wash. My brain is still on ENC standards which are pretty dang cheap and very available housing. It’s a privilege we know we will be giving up.

We are mostly looking at central or western parts of the state. Interests are hanging out outside, going for walks, board games, kayaking, gardening, volunteering with animal rescues, arts and crafts, comic books, riding bikes, good coffee, mostly non drinkers but we enjoy pub and brewery cultures. Middle aged and pretty quiet but really enjoy having a handful of things to get us out of the house and having a close circle of friends. Don’t have kids. We both work with em and that’s enough for us!

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SnooPeppers6081 t1_jd7hzpp wrote

Just so you are aware your cost of living is going to double at least up here. I spent 5 years of my military time down there and agree with you on the podunk small town red neck stuff. I would have stayed but the job market was crap for me.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd7wyqn wrote

That’s really important to know…especially in the teaching salary. Thank you!

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mtbv08 t1_jd84tsy wrote

It depends where - if you don't need easy access to Boston, you can have a reasonable housing costs outside 495. Daycare costs are astronomical across the state though...

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd8kh9y wrote

That’s great to know there might hope for housing! We are not looking at big cities. Partner is a small town person plus I couldn’t imagine not gardening or playing with dogs outside so some space, even a little bit, is important! Good to know it might be possible - thank you!

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SnooPeppers6081 t1_jd8ifsd wrote

You are both professionals so your employment options are broader than mine where.

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[deleted] t1_jd7la0p wrote

[deleted]

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Beck316 t1_jd7lu5m wrote

Accurate assessment and I'll add that even most of the conservatives that my path has crossed in home health believe in science and got their shots.

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FC_Twente_Benson t1_jd7ul41 wrote

I think Billerica was the only town that voted for Trump.

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LowkeyPony t1_jd91dat wrote

Pretty sure Fitchburg and some other surrounding towns up here voted for him as well. But we have a lot of "former" NH redneck morons up in this area

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd7xuyc wrote

That’s great to know! We would love to be fairly rural, small town or on the far outskirts of a more populated area because we’re pretty laid back, quiet folks but also have the pipe dream of also being able to meet some like-minded ppl. I have no problems with people having different views than my own (well, I try) but hooooo boy when you’re so intensely surrounded by people and institutions that have almost opposite values and shout them loudly, it’s just hard to make friends and engage in community. Truly amazing that that’s possible in your state!

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AboyNamedBort t1_jd86tor wrote

Then definitiley check out the Northampton area and the Berkshires. Both kinda rural but very progressive and lots of culture.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd8kl98 wrote

I absolutely will! Thank you so much! This advice has been invaluable :)

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Consistent-Egg1534 t1_jd8nsl3 wrote

Sounds like western MA is your jam. Love it there. Amherst/Northampton has everything you need.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd8vskk wrote

Thank you! After hearing all this feedback, im really excited about the future!

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bcb1200 t1_jd7wloa wrote

Mass has a lot to offer. But don’t expect folks to be “friendly” like they are in the Midwest or the south.

Massholes tend to keep to themselves. I’ve heard transplants complain it can sometimes be difficult to meet new people / new friends after moving here.

As in “why are you talking to me, new person, I didn’t grow up and go to high school with you.”

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Ok_Translator_7026 t1_jd8cwnb wrote

I’m from NW Georgia originally. That super friendly southern thing is bullshit. It’s more about an image and I can’t tell you how many times i witnessed the friendly conversation in a store only for one of them to start talking shit about the other after they walked off.

We left GA for similar reason OP. We moved to a nice quite part of Chicopee. Almost 2 years now and we love this state. Every place has its issues sure. And people here don’t go out of their way to talk to you unless you know each other . But almost every interaction we have had people have been friendly. Driving is a bit different in the city. People are aggressive as hell but no difference than driving in Atlanta.

We lived in the MTG district so you can only imagine the political environment there. Things do cost a bit more but they pay is so much better than we made for the same jobs down south. I am a photographer and I was charging the same price I did In GA and people though I was crazy here. (I still haven’t raised them because I make enough at that price )

Good luck with your move ! And good luck learning how to pronounce the towns and cities up here. I still look like an idiot trying 😆😆😆

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdcyq62 wrote

Gosh yes! Working in the school system you see so much "Oh hi Mary" and the second she is out of earshot "Did you SEE what SHE was WEARING???" I'd rather have someone just tell me that my shirt is ugly or better yet, not care at all.

MTG area - oh god I can't imagine. I'm in Greg Murphy-land who really has the same exact views but is slightly less of a fame-hog. Barf.

Did it take you awhile to adjust to the higher COL even when paired with higher pay? We're a little worried about the transition time as our dollar will not go as far but I already work 3 jobs so adding more work isn't an option at the moment

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Ok_Translator_7026 t1_jdd67in wrote

Housing is more costly of course and taxes are a bit more.

Philadelphia whipped crème cheese for 8oz here In Chicopee /Springfield is 5.59 The same thing in Marietta GA (which is a similar size city to Springfield is 4.79. I priced a few tools at Home Depot and they were the same price.

The food cost difference is similar at fast food and restaurants as well. So it can add up but it’s not bank breaking considering the pay increase.

minimum wage in GA is still 7.25$ when we moved my wife who works in the medical field got a serious pay increase for doing the same job. We have not noticed the increase in cost of living due to that. We have always been careful with how we spend our money . Kids are expensive as hell so we have had to manage money well to raise ours.

You can google stop and shop and put in our area code (01013) and price compare to whatever store you shop at at home and see how much difference you grocery bill will be every week. That will help you have an idea of the increase in food cost .

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqimgv wrote

That’s a great tool. Thank you so much for sharing. Big COL adjustment to prepare for!

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bcb1200 t1_jd8i17w wrote

Agreeing with other folks who replied to my comment.

To be clear, Mass folk aren’t unfriendly or rude. Just private. And it’s totally a cultural thing.

As a general rule, old school New Englanders are raised to really not talk about 1) money and 2) our feelings.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdcznzm wrote

That's great to know. I appreciate the social and cultural insights. Midwest doesn't really discuss feelings either. We only discuss money to humble brag about some thing we got on super sale at a department store. "Thanks it was on CLEARANCE!"

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd7wtwj wrote

That’s good to know! My sister lived in VT for some years so I had heard of Massholes but didn’t know if that was a real thing or hyperbole haha

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WinsingtonIII t1_jd838g9 wrote

I think the whole "asshole" part of Massholes is overblown. It mostly refers to the aggressive driving (which is definitely a real thing).

But otherwise I think what the other user is more referring to is the fact that New Englanders are reserved compared to the rest of the US (this isn't just a MA thing, it applies in most parts of New England). We don't really feel comfortable having small talk with strangers and we may treat a stranger coming up to us and trying to strike up conversation without a specific reason with some suspicion. This can be uncomfortable for people from other parts of the US where small talk is the norm, but for many New Englanders, having a stranger get into a long conversation with us makes us a bit uncomfortable, it's a cultural difference. My experience is that many Northern European countries are similar in this regard.

But it's not like everyone is going to swear and scream at you just because you said "hi." It can take a while to get to know people around here, but the people are generally perfectly kind and helpful if you have a specific reason to engage them in conversation. For instance, asking for directions, people will certainly help you. They may look at you weird if you just walk up to them and go "how's it going?" with no specific reason to talk to them.

Once you get to know New Englanders, they tend to be loyal friends, it just takes a while to get them to open up.

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ay-o-river t1_jd873s6 wrote

I’ll never forget being in a cvs in Richmond VA and a guy IN THE OTHER AISLE said hello to me and got offended that I didn’t immediately say hello back

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdczeux wrote

This would absolutely happen where I live! and we'll hold the door open for ya when you're half a mile away and wait patiently for you to pass through even though it probably stresses you the F out

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdczagm wrote

I appreciate your insight! Coming from Chicago and having lived in N Europe for a spell, I was used to keeping to myself, then had the huge NC culture shock of "we must interact with everyone always and they will offer their opinions and pity on every aspect of my life even in an elevator" I'm used to it now and it's fine and I'm probably one of them! But good to know there will be another cultural/social transition ahead. As a natural introvert, should be a comfortable change! I honestly love love love experiencing new places so hopefully this will be ok too

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_jdhalzr wrote

Honestly, I think the reserved and unfriendly stereotype is exaggerated. I think you will have plenty of friends and great neighbors. It just takes one organizer to have weekly pizza and wine block parties. It only takes one organizer to go out after work. There are plenty of ways to find a gym buddy.

Some people distrust nonlocals but I’d say that’s only 5-10%.

Some people have filled their friend roster but I’d say that’s only 5-10%.

Truth is, lots of people are lonely and will welcome your friendship.

Meeting people through your children is extra easy.

If someone snubs you, you probably don’t want them as a friend any way.

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Hoosac_Love t1_jd7h3vu wrote

What parts of the state are you thinking of?

What do you do for a living and what is your budget?

What recreational activities are you into?

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd8ljwb wrote

We are thinking west for more nature and lower cost of living. He’s a teacher. I’m a pediatric therapist. Both with major student loans. Budget would definitely be under $250,000 - even that makes me sweat a little. However we are both used to NC pay which is some of the lowest in the country for what we do. Recreation: hanging with the dogs, reading, board games…as I think about this it’s all very indoorsy. It’s so hot here (to me as a midwesterner) that I only really go outside 3 months a year. But I used to love hiking, kayaking, just walking around, ice skating, any rec sport, checking out local art and music.

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Hoosac_Love t1_jd8tm9f wrote

Amherst/Northamton sounds much like what your looking for and towns like Ware or Easthamton are less expensive but commutable

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdczu0n wrote

Awesome! I added it to my list of places to look into. Thank you so much for taking the time and energy to respond and help :)

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ThreeDogs2022 t1_jd7pq33 wrote

First of all, if you come, welcome! Escapee transplants are wicked awesome!

Firstuball, the drawbacks. Cost of housing. This is an expensive place to live, but out here in western massachusetts, ESPECIALLY the pioneer valley you can get both rural and liberal. Up in the hill towns we have plenty of affordable homes with lots of land, and lots of good people. There are couple of qanon hotbeds so, as long as you steer clear of those towns (think orange, athol), you'll be good.

Everything else? Net positive. Healthcare is accessible, even in the rural areas. People mind their business but if you need help from your neighbors, they show up in droves. Also the same person who will immediately bring you inside and get you clothes and place to sleep if your house catches on fire in the middle of the night will happily yell 'yeah, go fuck yourself!' if they feel you have offended them in traffic. Be aware. It's not personal lol.

The school systems are overall quite well paying, but our teaching licensure is more rigorous than almost anywhere else so you/your partner will want to start researching what they need to do. You/your partner will not have difficulty finding work as a pediatric therapist, either.

We have art, we have theatre, we have nature that'll knock your socks off. We have fantastic museums. We have higher ed coming out our buttholes if you want to go back to school. Our public schools are number 1 in the country if you're planning on spawning lil beasts.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdcxnb5 wrote

Thank you! I appreciate the welcoming message and taking the time to respond. This was really helpful and will add Pioneer Valley to my list to look into. Accessible healthcare in rural areas??? What is this sorcery you speak of

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_jd7hd1j wrote

I think you will be very happy in Mass. Any place has it’s pros and cons but you seem to be choosing wisely. Without some general price range, it’s hard to recommend specific towns but the college towns tend to be most liberal.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd8lz9e wrote

Thank you! We’re trying to keep it under $250,000 …even that makes my palms sweat. but also are very used to being underpaid in NC and income ratios are different everywhere. we know it’s gonna be tight moving to literally any other state we are looking at but it’s worth it

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_jd8vkke wrote

You might find the top 10 in this article interesting. (Scroll down.)

South Hadley or Norton?

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdd0ef5 wrote

I'll add those towns to my list to research! thank you so much for taking time out of your day to respond. I didn't see an article, but I'm kind of a 4 out of 10 for Reddit proficiency

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A_Man_Who_Writes t1_jd7ieln wrote

Anywhere in the state is good. Just know that we also have redneck towns. I would suggest living in or near an urban hub (Boston, Worcester, Springfield). Depends how close you want to be to the ocean. The closer you get to Boston the more outrageously expensive it is.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdd0k4h wrote

Thank you! We are ok with taking a break from the ocean. We live super close right now and it's amazing, but trying to new things is good too. Thanks for the heads up on the COL - that will be our biggest challenge

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A_Man_Who_Writes t1_jddenhb wrote

Cool! Check out the Pioneer Valley and the towns and cities along the Connecticut River. Beautiful, laid back, relatively affordable, and progressive.

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cdcyclist t1_jd7m0rp wrote

I would consider Sturbridge. It's a cool, busy town with hip restaurants. An hour on the nearby "mass pike" highway gets you to Boston or 30 minutes to Springfield. One of the biggest antique shows in the country happens a few times a year just down the street in Brimfield. Hikes in nature just a skip away in the Brimfield State Forest. Centrally located to many other towns for some job opportunities with again, easy highway access.

The ugly part of MA is imo entirely focused on cost of living. You will have stuff like excise tax on your car(s), and housing costs are outrageous unless you go WAY off the path.

I have inlaws in Western NC and going to see them is like driving into Trumptown. I figured the coast would be more progressive but I guess not! One thing I immediately notice is that in western NC everything is spread way out. Driving anywhere feels like it takes forever. If the coast is like that, you may enjoy that it takes far less time to get around Massachusetts. If you hit slow downs it's more likely from traffic around the higher pop areas than just long distances of road.

Good luck with your move!

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jroche1987 t1_jd7qcyr wrote

Just moved out of Sturbridge and can say with confidence it isn’t hip nor cool, pike was convenient and there are a lot of restaurants, seemed like a nice place for the 50+ crowd

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cdcyclist t1_jd8dg8z wrote

Yes, you're probably right. Hip is a relative term, I admit to being nearly 50. Not many younger folks find antiques interesting and such. It's not like a thriving downtown bar scene or something but it's way "hipper" than the boonies of NC or more locally a town like Ware or Monson.

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newestJourney t1_jdaftp9 wrote

Very true. Thought if I were out that way, I'd venture a couple towns over to Wilbraham, which has a bit less touristy vibe. Monson is nice to drive through from a nature standpoint, and Peaked Mtn is a nice hike.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqkxbk wrote

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! This place sounds lovely - added it to my research list

ENC is def not more progressive. Probably about the same save for pockets like Wilmington in the east and Asheville area in west. We get mostly the Tucker Carlson-lookalike rich people with beach houses flying “Let’s go Brandon flags,” Trump-themed boaters/flotilla folks (not joking or exaggerating) and then the born and raised “rebel nation” country folks. people here absolutely love love love the local culture and I’m glad they’re happy, but I gotta get outta here.

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theopinionexpress t1_jd7nugc wrote

I have some friends from here that moved to SC, who share my political beliefs (and yours) and we discuss the differences a lot. You’d be surprised the amount of weirdo trumpers here - there is a very vocal minority. But the stats don’t lie when it comes to voting, and the social policies usually follow.

My friends that moved there bought an absolutely beautiful 4 or 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath new house for the price of what you could get a 1 br condo in eastern Massachusetts (what I consider east of worcestor, around the rte 495 belt). The further west you go, typically the more house you can afford, the further East and closer to Boston, less. Southern NH, particularly southeast can be affordable cause it’s kindof rural and no major highways. But NH has high property tax.

All in all if you’re willing to be ~1.5 hr drive from Boston, you can find affordable homes with land, in my unprofessional opinion. Personally I’d just get a realtor to send you listings.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdcy19p wrote

Better a vocal minority than a vocal majority! This was really helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to help us!

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HunterGraccus t1_jd7peq2 wrote

Western MA is the answer. We benefit from the great wealth of the Boston area but are less crowded and somewhat more affordable. Start with Springfield then go north to Greenfield. It is called the Pioneer Valley and is packed with colleges and Ph.D's. People will say bad things about Springfield because it is not as affluent as the rest of the state, but it is affordable and worth it for a few years until you get your finances stabilized. The surrounding towns are great with good schools and houses around $300K are still available. School salaries start around $46K and go to about 95K.

We do have higher taxes, but overall it is a good deal. My water meter inside the house (property of the city) broke 2 days ago and we had no water. I called the town water department in the evening after it was closed and they had a 2 plumbers there within the hour and had the meter replaced and tested working at no cost to me. The entire process took 1.5 hours. I emailed the mayor last year about an issue and he called me the next day.

We do have all the bad things other states have, just less of it.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdd172e wrote

This gives me some hope! I am fine with not living in an affluent place. We are not fancy by any means because a huge chunk of our income goes to taking care of our rescue animals and student loans. As long as we are safe with a decent roof over our heads and a nice yard, we're a-ok.

Good to know about the school salaries! After 21 YEARS of teaching in NC, my partner makes what you are listing as a starting salary in MA!

Thanks freakin amazing about your water meter. That would 1000% never happen like that in Chicago!

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therealchiefrobert t1_jd7pmkn wrote

It's not Florida!

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdd053z wrote

Anywhere that isn't Florida is a plus in my book. Culture wars aside, the dang heat and humidity would kill me immediately!

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waffles2go2 t1_jd7nu63 wrote

MA is liberal nirvana, but it's also expensive. Strange riff on people being "nice not friendly" but most are fairly well educated (public schools are generally good) and progressive.

Still problems with racism, discrimination, and crime but trying to get better.

New progressive gov and Boston mayor are shaking things up (for the good).

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdd01f2 wrote

Thank you for responding and for your insight. The cost seems to be the biggest adjustment we'll need to make. The public schools here are...let's just say we have seen some stuff

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waffles2go2 t1_jdfbnmh wrote

I've been through every state in this country several times and MA is fantastic for me - not perfect but the best mix I know of and (prices aside) heading in the right direction.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdh7nmu wrote

Good to know! The COL is making my palms sweat but gotta remind myself that living in a low COL area now has gotten us a great house, disposable income, less financial stress BUT ALSO…regressive policies, few environmental regulations, surrounded by trumpers and bible thumpers (if you’re religious, fine, but it’s very evangelical and hardcore here) prayer in public schools, so much open bigotry, lots of open animal abuse, surrounded by “if you don’t like it, leave!” Attitude, no social safety nets at all. That stuff really wears me out.

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Sunny_Dais t1_jd7jfpo wrote

I’m an Outlander. Aka, west of the 495/91 interstates. It’s a different world through dragonland

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needmorenaps22 t1_jd7qxjw wrote

We live in metrowest ish. Franklin to be specific. Schools are great, taxes low for our area and you can still commute to Boston or Worcester. Also lots of school districts hiring in our surrounding area.

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newestJourney t1_jdag7q9 wrote

Franklin and Medway area very nice....but OP won't find anything at all at the $250K mark

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needmorenaps22 t1_jdarbf1 wrote

I missed that part. But also crazy because I bought my house for 250k only 5 years ago. The market has been wild

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqj0gc wrote

We’re on southern wages looking to move north so are truly doing this backwards. Maybe it works out for us, maybe not but your state sounds awesome regardless!

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needmorenaps22 t1_jdv0bvk wrote

Don’t get discouraged! You may not find a brand new house but there are plenty of options here. I purchased my house for only 250k it was before Covid and needs some work. Other areas that are very nice and have great schools, Bellingham, medway, Ashland, holliston parts of Framingham.

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Missmunkeypants95 t1_jdbaywy wrote

I have a patient I visit in Franklin and it is a lovely town. Nice houses too.

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moxie-maniac t1_jd7rlyk wrote

Mass will be more expensive and salaries are higher, so it probably weighs out. About getting a Mass teaching licence, see the Mass department of ed (DESE) website. For a full license, you need teaching experience, pass standard exams, pass an English exam, and earn a master's. Lot of part time MEd programs at state universities, and it bumps you up the scale. I'm not sure what pediatric therapist is.. physician? physical therapist? clinical psychologist? But in any case, it probably pays better in Mass.

Like most states, Mass school quality varies by town/district, and the MCAS (standard exam) results are available on the dept of ed website. It roughly tracks school quality. But then again, Mass tends to rank at or near the top of state by state education quality.

Mass is a great place for well-educated people, and "real winter" is the main only drawback. But there were only 2 or 3 storms this past winter where we had to shovel.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqjyr5 wrote

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Extremely good to know about the teaching requirements and will look into further.

Personally I enjoy real winter! And am especially appreciative after being south for so long. First few years coming from the Midwest it felt like bonus outdoors time. But the novelty wore off FAST.

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moxie-maniac t1_jdqkr72 wrote

About teacher salaries, you can often find the district contract on its website or just do a Google search for a town and teacher contract. There will usually be a table that lists salary and the steps. If you work in SpEd, you might consider a master's in ABA.

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ChowboyDan t1_jd7pctv wrote

Good suggestions so far. If I were able to pull it off, I'd most definitely live in the Northampton/Amherst area. However, jobs are something important to consider here.

What are your interests and activities? Do you see yourself spending many days at the beach during the summer? That might be something to consider. Massachusetts is small, but traveling to the beach from western MA is still a drive. I live north of Boston, where the ocean is close. It's also a shorter drive to coastal areas of NH and ME if that is important.

If you provide more info on your interests, we might be able to finely tune our answers.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqlkun wrote

Thank you so much for taking the time. We’re fine being away from the beach. We have lived 15 mins away from the beach for years and change is good. We enjoying comic cooks, reading, walks, playing with our dogs, gardening, volunteering with animal rescues, kayaking, hiking. We’re not mountain climbers or extremely outdoorsy…I guess we’re mid-40’s out of shape outdoorsy! Just want to be somewhere with clean air, clean water, slow pace of life, boring and/or quaint is totally fine. Mostly we’re moving with southern wages and southern savings accounts which will likely be the thing we have to factor more than anything else!

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hutch2522 t1_jd7qiml wrote

Some things to consider:

As others pointed out, while this is an awesome state, it comes with a price tag. Given your jobs, I assume you can be flexible in where you live. That will help. Just know that the more rural you get, the more you're going to see similar problems to what you saw in NC. The good news here is they're just a very vocal minority, not a vocal majority with all the politicians that come along with that. The state isn't a monolith. Rural towns tend to be red. The closer to the cities you get, the more blue (and sane).

You mentioned rescue pups. First, awesome that you do that. Be sure to check with the towns you're considering for their threshold to kennel status. Many towns it's 3 pups. If you get a nosy neighbor, you may get animal control knocking on your door for too many pups. I know people that have registered as a kennel. Seems crazy, but I understand it's not that big of a deal. It may just subject you to an occasional inspection. If you're rural, this is likely not a big issue.

As others have said, look towards western MA. Sturbridge area is great. It's just on the outskirts of a reasonable commute to Boston so not too desirable for people that need that. Where your jobs can keep you local, that's not an issue for you. As far as I understand, the need for pediatric therapists is HUGE right now. Most are booked solid. The market for teachers is better than ever around here, but it's still on the tough side to break in. MA teachers are paid well. There's definitely been more of a shortage than ever this year like much of the rest of the country, but to a much less extent here.

Good luck!

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqmgxz wrote

Thank you so much - this was really thoughtful and helpful

I truly never would have thought of limits on dogs! Animals have basically no rights down here so something like that didn’t even cross my mind. Multiple collared and tagged dogs just roam around my current town and no one seems to think it’s strange. Owners just let em out before work and bring em back after work. Beagles, pitties, corgis, lab mixes just free wheeling all over and some are obviously not neutered. It’s insanity!

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No_Historian718 t1_jd7st4e wrote

Well don’t admire our infrastructure but everything else you’re looking for is pretty much here

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqmsz4 wrote

Haha coming from the south, you guys are in much much better shape than down here. We only just got 5G, we have loads and loads of dirt roads, I have read that we don’t do vehicle emissions testing, so much litter, no social safety nets, our schools are full of black mold and mildew, polluted drinking water (no one cares), school windows covered with paper or trash bags. You might have some of that kind of stuff but here, it’s everywhere (except maybe less so in the triangle)

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jjgould165 t1_jd7u08p wrote

Before you get here, investigate on requirements for teachers who are coming from other states. You need to take this test: https://www.doe.mass.edu/mtel/ to teach in the state within a specific number of years/months. There is a teacher shortage so it might not be as necessary to begin with but will be required. Also, join the union the first day that you can. If it was more affordable, I would suggest the Cape since they have a huge need for therapists and teachers, but check out southern NH along Essex County or the Worcester area.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqmykn wrote

Thank you so much! I’ll add those places to the research list and that is great to know about the teaching requirements and needs. NC is bottom 10 for teachers and I think we’re in for a wild ride when we move

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Wishful_Thinking826 t1_jd88dl6 wrote

You'll fit right in, just remember everyone's an (M)asshole up here and the weather sucks....and its ridiculously expensive. It's weird I grew up here, but I spent the last 10 years living all over the world/country (Japan, Korea, Oklahoma, Texas, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain) , and honestly I hate it now that I'm back. It's dark, cold, the roads suck and everyone is overly political.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd8snu8 wrote

I appreciate hearing the downsides. I think the weather sucks down here where most people love the eternal summer/spring. I find it disorienting and overly sweaty and moldy. The darkness will take some adjustment as it’s been ten years since I’ve lived somewhere with real winter

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Separate_Session_452 t1_jdauq63 wrote

Central MA does have “affordable” housing $300-500k range. A lot will really depend what you want near you. I live in Pepperell, it really has no restaurants to speak of and we get a lot of snow, but I can hit Boston in an 1.5 hour, however, Lowell, Nashua NH, Fitchburg and Worcester are less than an hour. This opens a-lot of options from outdoor sports and recreation, to, if you are into music, the new Groton Hill Music Center. Not only a fabulous performance center, but a top notch place to take music lessons (kids and adults). I lived in NC about 30 years ago, both on the Outer Banks and Western NC, beautiful state, but in many ways, although MA is developed, there are many areas where the pace is slower. Pepperell boasts not having a single traffic light.
Like many have said, schools are good to great, healthcare is excellent, people do mind their own business, but communities do abound, I think it depends how involved you want to be. All the best in your move.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqot7s wrote

Thank you so much, fellow (former) NC-er! We have lots of beautiful places here. If it wasn’t so hot, I’d enjoy them more. Multiple 90 degree heat index days in February already. Yuck.

I write those towns down to look into. Getting info like this is invaluable - I appreciate your time!

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EtonRd t1_jd7kddb wrote

The cost of living is the bad of Massachusetts. In particular, housing prices are insane. Depending on where you live and work, the commute times can be excessive. A 15 mile commute can take an hour and a half depending on where you live.

It sounds like you have a good idea of the benefits of living here, and I think if people can swing it financially, it’s worth the trade-off to get those benefits.

It doesn’t sound like your jobs are conducive to remote work, so in the western part of the state, I recommend the Springfield area because you can expand your potential work area into Hartford.

Because of the cost of housing, people can’t make meaningful recommendations without a sense of your budget for either an apartment or a house. If you need to look at the school system for kids, that comes in to play as well.

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fun_guy02142 t1_jd7l29l wrote

You are definitely going to enjoy MA! The teacher needs to look into the requirements here, as they are more rigorous (thankfully!) than many other states.

As others have mentioned, giving a dollar amount (for rent or purchase) would help us. Greater Boston is prohibitively expensive, but once you get outside of 495 things are more affordable. Littleton and Shirley have a lot to offer, or you could look further out near Northampton. I’d stay away from Springfield though.

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colelynch82 t1_jd7od3o wrote

More liberal towns tend to be near larger cities. Someone else pointed this out as well, places near Springfield, Worcester, Boston etc.

As some others pointed out as well, housing is extremely expensive here. Especially as you get closer and closer to Boston.

My recommendation is someone in central MA. Towns like Upton, Mendon, and neighboring towns could have availability that might be cheaper than being closer to a large city.

I love living in central MA because I’m about an hour away from everything I could ever want to do. 1 hour from Boston, 1 hour from Springfield, less than an hour from Providence. Its sort of my sweet spot.

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The_Mean_MacKean t1_jd7poqz wrote

It is expensive here and most people will tell you to move to Central MA. I personally don’t like any area of this state that’s north of Boston or out west/central. Probably just a bias because I grew up in the area where I live now and I hate places with too many trees. Boston itself is great but absolutely impossible for regular people with regular incomes to move to and this goes for the towns around it. I live in southeastern MA and I’m like 40 minutes away from Boston/Cambridge which is where I work every day. It’s not bad. There are towns in my neck of the woods that are more affordable as well. Housing everywhere has gone through the roof but if you look in the right town in southeastern MA (Middleboro, Carver, Lakeville, Kingston) you could find something that may be closer to your range.

Stay away from cities like Brockton, Taunton, Fall River and Springfield. I might get some hate for saying that but those towns need help.

Overall it comes down to what you’re looking for. If you like a little bit of seclusion and don’t mind wooded areas then western and central MA could be for you. They are more inexpensive to live in.

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newestJourney t1_jdagjee wrote

Fair enough. I'll upvote for what looks to be an unpopular opinion. But you're just indicating what the vibe of various areas are and is an accurate take. Just goes to show that even though a small state, we're still varied enough to have our regional preferences.

I do like the beaches down on the South Shore / Buzzards Bay for sure.

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The_Mean_MacKean t1_jdbziqe wrote

Truthfully I would be more open to going further west if everyone and everything important to me in my life wasn’t near where I’m located now/if there was a way for me to make the money I make now out west without having to go to Boston and Cambridge. That simply isn’t a possibility. The money is in Boston and Cambridge. Always has been.

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Missmunkeypants95 t1_jdbbbhz wrote

Hey, I'm from Brockton!

And I agree. Don't move there. I live in Quincy now, thankfully. I love it but if we didn't inherit the house we would never have been able to afford it. Half a mil for a bungalow style house on a tiny plot of land.

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The_Mean_MacKean t1_jdbzq74 wrote

I like Quincy. My favorite town is probably Braintree but I’ll never be able to move there.

Brockton is getting worse. I was born in 1990 in a town that touches Brockton and I went to the vocational school that Brockton goes to so I’ve spent my fair share of time in and around Brockton for the past 33 years. It’s gone downhill and it was already pretty low to begin with. I don’t know what needs to happen.

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Popmuzik412 t1_jd7pq38 wrote

MA has excise tax, just a heads up

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Yestattooshurt t1_jd7vr4y wrote

What’s j6?

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd7wod3 wrote

January 6 supporters, my apologies, I should have written that more clearly!

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Yestattooshurt t1_jd7yn3s wrote

Ohhhh ok, no worries.

MA doesn’t have a lot of that. We are the least conservative state out of all 50, with the highest wages, best healthcare, and best education. Massholes (I say this affectionately) also don’t put up with a lot of bullshit. Last time they tried to hold a “free speech” Charlottesville type rally up here like 100 people showed up, and something like 30,000 people showed up to beat the snot out of them.

The major downside that you probably wont hear on this sub. The gun laws. I’m going to cut right to the chase. I am a lifelong liberal, I think the licensing system we have and background checks makes sense, I’m not some “muh rights” republicunt, but if you want to purchase a gun for personal or home protection, the laws are written to be confusing and contradictory, and people often accuse them of being predatory.

I will now sit back and accept my downvotes.

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majoroutage t1_jd824a4 wrote

>We are the least conservative state out of all 50, with the highest wages, best healthcare, and best education.

This may just be an issue of interpretation, but I do believe the main reason the others are true is because we haven't gone off the liberal deepend in terms of spending. It's one thing I'm definitely proud of that Massachusetts has maintaining a balanced budget as a duty of the governor's office enumerated in our state constitution.

We're still very liberal, but other blue states can still learn a lot from us in terms of fiscal responsibility.

>Last time they tried to hold a “free speech” Charlottesville type rally up here like 100 people showed up, and something like 30,000 people showed up

Now that is proper free speech. :)

EDIT. And without getting too much into it, I'm with you on the gun rights thing too. Although I am more staunchly pro-2A, I recognize the LARPing weirdos you're referring to as indeed being weirdos. Own all the guns you want, but why base your personality around it. As long as you're a lawful citizen you owe nobody any justification.

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Penny-Dobby t1_jd81ih0 wrote

You will fit right in MA! In Belchertown (Western MA) you can get a decent size yard and space from your neighbors for all your pups. The town is also has tons of waking paths, and Quabin Reservoir which is a wonderful place to spend time. You do have to be ok with knowing to get to most bigger shopping areas it will be about a 30min ride but for me the trade off of having a large piece of land and good schools is totally worth it. Just like with every area there will be closed minded people but for the majority is very respectful and accepting.

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thafunkyhomosapien t1_jd81mzx wrote

Plug for my town - Holden, Ma even though I am sure some people will shit on it. Our town touches Worcester, so you get somewhat rural living with city close by. High school is regional, but elementary and middle schools are in town. Without looking, I would say average home price here for a 3 bedroom 2000sq ft house is probably around $600K. If you go a little further out (more rural, but still close to Worcester) you get Rutland, Barre, Hubbardston, etc.. Housing is slightly cheaper there.

Politically, there are definitely right-wing people here (most of my immediate neighbors), but generally speaking, they're not assholes about it.

We've lived here for almost 7 years (was closer to Boston before that), and we really love it. The schools are great, and you can get anywhere relatively quickly. Holden main street traffic sucks because it's essentially the only route to get to the more rural towns if you're coming from the east. I've gotten used to it though and try to avoid it at peak times.

ETA: for reference, Rutland is the geographical center of the state, which is 1 town over from Holden.

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InfiniteJessica t1_jd87qfu wrote

Have you thought about Raleigh/Durham? I spent five very happy years there. It’s a little oasis in North Carolina. I still think about retiring there. It’s a whole lot less expensive. But on the plus side, Newton Massachusetts has excellent senior services.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jd8t4yt wrote

We had kinda rolled it around in our heads, but my SO really struggles to drive in traffic to the point where I think he would possibly have a really really bad wreck. I have friends in Durham and I love to visit though. It’s so refreshing to see people under the age of 50 out and about bc it’s retiree central here! We might keep and rent out our house near the beach as a retirement option!

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newestJourney t1_jdagz6z wrote

I lived in Durham for a spell and you're right, the traffic there is crazy. At least here we don't have terrible ideas like left lane merges into the fast lane of highways.

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Comfortable-Scar4643 t1_jd8lfp2 wrote

Northampton and Amherst are really nice. Weather sucks, mind you. But August is amazing.

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Consistent-Egg1534 t1_jd8nfaf wrote

welcome! I’m on the North Shore in MA. The state varies a lot by where you go - I really really miss living in Cambridge and Somerville but we were priced out as buyers needing a family home. Up here the main difference between NC and my area is the people are not friendly. Like, at all. Also, winter is 100 months long. If you buy a place outside of Boston make sure you do a practice commute before signing anything. 18 miles from Boston=1 hour on the road or road/train combo.

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Teratocracy t1_jd8wimk wrote

You are very unlikely to find a house in that budget range, unfortunately, even in the more affordable parts of western Mass.

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NutMegSmileyMe t1_jdcsemy wrote

South Hadley, Granby, Hadley, Holyoke (there's good areas) ...pretty much Western Mass because it's less expensive than the rest of Mass but you can find really good deals anywhere in this state. The people, for the most part, are nice. You will come across some unsavory folks, but I think you'll encounter that anywhere go.

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HatAppropriate1351 t1_jdgi6rb wrote

Schools and Libraries are great. Schools are understaffed. That is happening everywhere. Also crime is up especially among school aged youth. Some kid stabbed school administrators. More pat downs in schools after uvalde. This is all on the news though.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdh90yy wrote

gosh to have a good library! Oh my mind is racing with happy thoughts of that! Our local library is mostly fiction and nonfiction military books, Nicolas Sparks and right wing stuff like Tucker Carlson. Probably great for most around here! Just not me, but I’m aware that I’m the odd man out

The schools…yes, that’s very good to be aware of. I’ve seen shootings, stabbings, major physical fights. It’s terrifying and it only gets more and more normalized.

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HatAppropriate1351 t1_jdhahb5 wrote

I have picked up some pretty good history and science books at my library while studying. Start them on the for dummies series as a guide then expand outwards from here. Research is a pretty powerful tool these days. Also get them on a path. Be an engineer. Be cardiologist. be a teacher. Hospitals provide better money then family practice. Being a police officer can be pretty good money. What do your kids like doing?

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdqoy90 wrote

No kids…both of us just love libraries and reading is one of our main hobbies haha

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J_Worldpeace t1_jd8y2qo wrote

For starters,... We have had some pretty shitty mods.

😆

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mehkindaok t1_jdaszk8 wrote

A town in MA where $250K gets you an actual house rather than a burnt-out shed or quite literally a parking spot will make most of NC look like a liberal utopia, just move to RTP area and call it a day. Out here you’d be competing with buyers whose annual household income is greater than your entire house budget.

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InspectorFun1699 OP t1_jdh8e9v wrote

Good to know. And maybe MA is out of our budget, that’s part of why I’m asking all you kind people, to get the insider scoop. NC is still too dang hot across the board. 90 degrees in February. I gotta get out of here regardless.

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Funny_Drummer_9794 t1_jd7tz6q wrote

Everything is a ripoff. Everything. Maybe Market Basket.

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