Mid-size, affordable cities with stable-to-rising momentum — manageable on a teacher's salary.
Teaching is geographically portable but salaries vary widely. The cities here have home values under $350K, populations between 20K-250K, and stable-to-rising momentum.
These cities tend to have solid school districts (large enough to support multiple schools, small enough to avoid extreme COL). Not Hot momentum: those tend to be too expensive.
1Flint, MIFlint · pop 79,73557Stable$65,949median home 2Youngstown, OHYoungstown-Warren-Boardman · pop 59,12375Rising$71,351median home 3Gary, INChicago-Naperville-Elgin · pop 67,55551Stable$92,113median home 5Decatur, ILDecatur · pop 68,76370Rising$104,867median home 6Alton, ILSt. Louis · pop 24,96765Rising$105,742median home 7Inkster, MIDetroit-Warren-Dearborn · pop 25,10871Rising$110,236median home 9Gadsden, ALGadsden · pop 33,08658Stable$115,684median home 10Jamestown, NYJamestown-Dunkirk-Fredonia · pop 27,69968Rising$120,631median home 11Ottumwa, IAOttumwa · pop 25,64861Stable$122,649median home 12Bay City, MIBay City · pop 32,08673Rising$123,251median home 14Freeport, ILFreeport · pop 23,14075Rising$125,445median home 15Port Arthur, TXBeaumont-Port Arthur · pop 55,79957Stable$127,175median home 16Rock Island, ILDavenport-Moline-Rock Island · pop 36,43457Stable$127,878median home 18Clinton, IAClinton · pop 24,11860Stable$129,641median home 19East Chicago, INChicago-Naperville-Elgin · pop 25,76856Stable$130,011median home 20Saginaw, MISaginaw · pop 43,00174Rising$130,521median home 21Albany, GAAlbany · pop 66,70554Stable$131,279median home 23Peoria, ILPeoria · pop 111,69670Rising$132,671median home 27Duncan, OKDuncan · pop 23,17465Rising$135,002median home 29Marion, INMarion · pop 28,21670Rising$135,891median home 30Anderson, INIndianapolis-Carmel-Anderson · pop 55,85174Rising$135,908median home 31Enid, OKEnid · pop 50,51964Rising$136,265median home 32Huntington, WVHuntington-Ashland · pop 44,94267Rising$138,553median home 33Dayton, OHDayton-Kettering · pop 136,34667Rising$138,867median home 34Pekin, ILPeoria · pop 31,26674Rising$139,291median home 35Akron, OHAkron · pop 189,66469Rising$140,512median home 36Pontiac, MIDetroit-Warren-Dearborn · pop 62,52871Rising$140,712median home 37Del City, OKOklahoma City · pop 21,27261Stable$141,447median home 38Lawton, OKLawton · pop 90,02768Rising$141,667median home 39Muskogee, OKMuskogee · pop 36,84962Rising$143,065median home 40Altoona, PAAltoona · pop 42,71964Rising$143,468median home 41Pascagoula, MSGulfport-Biloxi · pop 21,47662Rising$144,836median home 42Waterloo, IAWaterloo-Cedar Falls · pop 67,47763Rising$145,863median home 43Euclid, OHCleveland-Elyria · pop 48,42169Rising$146,798median home 44Parkersburg, WVParkersburg-Vienna · pop 28,83458Stable$147,532median home 46Anniston, ALAnniston-Oxford · pop 21,12762Rising$147,740median home 47Camden, NJPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington · pop 71,74958Stable$148,029median home 48Wheeling, WVWheeling · pop 26,06061Stable$148,110median home 50Moline, ILDavenport-Moline-Rock Island · pop 42,44264Rising$150,933median home