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!