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.

Western MA is a good bet if you like a less crowded area. Springfield, Ludlow, Westfield, Chicopee, anywhere in the Pioneer valley. It is cheaper to live out here, but not much. A teacher's salary will be a bit tight. but doable. You start around 48K and 20 years in you are in the high 80's or 90K with excellent Union protections. It has fewer social outlets for a young person, so you will have to seek out cool things to do. Also we are close to Hartford, Boston, New York, the Cape, and the CT shore. If you are a Math, Science, or SPED teacher you should do OK. Other subject areas will be more difficult to land a job.

People will disparage Western MA because it is not as fabulously wealthy as the other parts of MA, but it has great natural beauty and areas where you will be able to live comfortably on a teacher salary provided you don't need to buy a house.

Inform the your city/town school department that you suspect your child has special needs. The school has their own educational psychologists that will perform testing to identify the disability and the school will develop a plan to address your child's learning needs. In MA special education is taken seriously and a wide variety of services are available. Massachusetts has excellent school systems, so your child will have a great chance of success!