I think it depends a lot on where you live. I live on the west coast and the average teacher salary is about $58,000. The average price of a house here and within a 40 mile radius is about $750,000. So if a house near where you teach is $400,000 and you are making $50,000 a yr as a teacher in Maine you are actually much better of than a teacher here in Washington making $8,000 more but having to pay almost twice as much for housing. We also have a 10.2% sales tax, gas is almost $5.00 a gallon of gas and my property taxes are $875 a month. A way more expensive place to live.

I am thinking of retiring in Maine ad it is so much cheaper.