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.