Where to live in America or the world that's cheap with excellent schools?

[Anonymous]

Minnesota, western Washington but not Seattle, Des Moines Iowa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in NYC, I work in big tech, kids in private, feel like I'm going to burst into flames.

Looking to relocate, price WAY down, save hard. Possibly keep job, possibly get new remote job.

Would love to live somewhere somewhat pretty, and only other thing that really matters to me is really really good (like A rated) public or very inexpensive private schools.

Any tips? Do you love where you live or have lived that is like this? My proliferating gray hairs and wrinkles and stress related health issues thank you.

I think your best bets would be California, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Massachusetts.

Hello taxes!!!!!

Higher taxes and good schools tend to go hand in hand. That's why you often see people raising their kids in high-tax areas and then moving to low-tax havens for retirement -- good schools are the biggest, most tangible benefit of higher taxes, and once people have used that benefit, suddenly low-tax areas (with crappy school districts) look a lot more appealing.

Educate and vacate.

[Anonymous]

According to the latest Wall Street Journal report for good public schools you need to be in the deep south.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in NYC, I work in big tech, kids in private, feel like I'm going to burst into flames.

Looking to relocate, price WAY down, save hard. Possibly keep job, possibly get new remote job.

Would love to live somewhere somewhat pretty, and only other thing that really matters to me is really really good (like A rated) public or very inexpensive private schools.

Any tips? Do you love where you live or have lived that is like this? My proliferating gray hairs and wrinkles and stress related health issues thank you.

I think your best bets would be California, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Massachusetts.

California? Are you nucking futs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:West Hartford

This is what I was thinking. Might be some towns up past Fairfield that would fit the bill too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in NYC, I work in big tech, kids in private, feel like I'm going to burst into flames.

Looking to relocate, price WAY down, save hard. Possibly keep job, possibly get new remote job.

Would love to live somewhere somewhat pretty, and only other thing that really matters to me is really really good (like A rated) public or very inexpensive private schools.

Any tips? Do you love where you live or have lived that is like this? My proliferating gray hairs and wrinkles and stress related health issues thank you.

what is your housing budget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in NYC, I work in big tech, kids in private, feel like I'm going to burst into flames.

Looking to relocate, price WAY down, save hard. Possibly keep job, possibly get new remote job.

Would love to live somewhere somewhat pretty, and only other thing that really matters to me is really really good (like A rated) public or very inexpensive private schools.

Any tips? Do you love where you live or have lived that is like this? My proliferating gray hairs and wrinkles and stress related health issues thank you.

I think your best bets would be California, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Massachusetts.

Hello taxes!!!!!

Higher taxes and good schools tend to go hand in hand. That's why you often see people raising their kids in high-tax areas and then moving to low-tax havens for retirement -- good schools are the biggest, most tangible benefit of higher taxes, and once people have used that benefit, suddenly low-tax areas (with crappy school districts) look a lot more appealing.

That's not true look at PA school tax. Some of the most expensive in the nation and the public schools aren't that good at all.

It's a total myth that higher taxes=better schools.

This is an ignorant take. Pennsylvania is a large state with both very urban, very rural, and lots of suburban and small town school districts. The state also has some terrific schools, as well as some terrible ones.

However, the best schools in the state absolutely have high local taxes, in large part to fund schools. Particularly in the suburbs around the two largest cities in the state, you will find high local taxes that support highly desirable school districts.

The "most expensive" schools in the nation tend to be urban districts that support a large percentage of poor and at risk kids. These schools are expensive because they are often providing far more services than just educating kids -- they are often also providing subsidized childcare even for young kids, feeding kids in poverty, providing adult education, providing special needs services to families who have no ability to pay for it themselves, and helping to facilitate everything from housing services to medical care for the urban poor. DCPS, for instance, has very high per-pupil expenditure rates, because there is a large minority of students in the system who require a lot of very expensive services. But this is just the reality of urban school districts.

When it comes to suburban districts, better school are almost always associated with higher-than-average local taxes, whether via property taxes or in the form of bond initiatives and other taxes that pay for school facilities, teachers, and programming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the latest Wall Street Journal report for good public schools you need to be in the deep south.

Lol. No.

The best schools are in places where people value education. There are places in the south where that is the case, but the idea that the "Deep South" with is generally a term used to refer to the largely rural parts of Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. These are not places where education is highly valued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northern Virginia the east coast silicon valley

thank you for the laugh of the day.

-someone who worked in silicon valley

[Anonymous]

The Philly burbs are not by and large the great value they used to be pre-Covid. In PA you don’t really want to go lower than absolute top quality public because the area doesn’t have the overall high bar that DMV or NYC area does (I’ve lived in all 3 places). Main Line real estate prices have soared, but Swarthmore is a small town with excellent schools and train service that is a solid value.

Otherwise: Mount Lebanon, PA

East Grand Rapids, MI

Decatur, GA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op - would like to hear more about northern va and philly burbs. where there has really good schools? am not super familiar with the areas.

NoVa is a rat race. I wouldn't go there if you are looking to get out of that wheel.

[Anonymous]

Look at where college professors at great schools live. They want their kids educated well but don't always have the budget for an expensive privates. They also volunteer at their kids' schools.

Areas like Pittsford, New York have dirt cheap real estate and good public schools.

Areas like Roland Park, where many Hopkins professors live have less expensive private schools that punch above their weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:op - would like to hear more about northern va and philly burbs. where there has really good schools? am not super familiar with the areas.

NoVa is a rat race. I wouldn't go there if you are looking to get out of that wheel.

Yeah NOVA is like this if you live in the close-in suburbs (Arlington, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna). But go just a bit further from DC (I’m thinking South Riding) and you’ll still have good schools with less stress. Look just outside the Beltway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the latest Wall Street Journal report for good public schools you need to be in the deep south.

Lol. No.

The best schools are in places where people value education. There are places in the south where that is the case, but the idea that the "Deep South" with is generally a term used to refer to the largely rural parts of Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. These are not places where education is highly valued.

Actually I believe it was Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama in which grade school kids are scoring higher than elsewhere in the country.
There is a huge emphasis in these states on the basics of reading and math. Education is highly valued in these states. I just met a woman who graduated from Tuskeegee University last night. You've never heard of NASA in Huntsville? Education is valued in rural areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at where college professors at great schools live. They want their kids educated well but don't always have the budget for an expensive privates. They also volunteer at their kids' schools.

Areas like Pittsford, New York have dirt cheap real estate and good public schools.

Areas like Roland Park, where many Hopkins professors live have less expensive private schools that punch above their weight.

Yes, no one has mentioned Baltimore yet, likely because people on this board are allergic to it. But privates in Baltimore are more affordable than in NYC and DC, and real estate is cheaper. You have to be selective about neighborhood, but if you are really looking to get out of a hyper-competitive, more more more culture, Baltimore is a good option. Roland Park is really nice, and even has decent public elementaries if you want to wait until MS for private (no idea how old OP's kids are). Baltimore also has great food, good sports culture, and a decent amount of entertainment, plus is a short train ride from DC and only a slightly longer one from Philly or NYC if you want something more from time to time.

One thing to look at with Baltimore is city property taxes. This was what kept us from relocating there from DC. It would still be cheaper to live there, for sure, but what held us up was the high taxes combined with limited or zero appreciation on real estate. It just didn't work with our long term financial plans, despite the lower COL. But I think it would work for someone willing to rent and just invest their money elsewhere, or if you were buying for cash with no mortgage, as the taxes would still be way cheaper than rent in NYC and then you'd just invest your remaining income more aggressively.