Are there affordable areas of New England? (how much, homes)

[cm729]

We're from the Mid-Atlantic area and living elsewhere - we're finding that we miss being within 2 hrs of a beach, walking around and seeing those older, historic homes (beyond our reach but looking is fun!)all 4 seasons, the food.

Another consideration is programs for young adults with mental retardation, like after school/vacation programs - MA and CT have some great ones in certain areas, perhaps you know of others in ME, RI, NH? Upstate NY? VT had very limited programs. We're open to suggestions. I know it can be very expensive in New England in general ..are there any smaller cities or towns where a 1 income family can do well enough without a constant stuggle(under $30K). We were thinking if we lived in a less populated part of the state it might be workable with lower rents(our biggest expense).
I know it might not be possible though we're willing to sacrifice the extra's if we could find good programs for our child.

We don't mind the cold or heat as long as they don't last 6 months each
like the midwest or south.

[astroline95]

you should check out pittsfield MA... it's not 2 hours from a beach though, it's the main city of the berkshires!

[GraniteStater]

Some of the most affordable areas in New England in terms of housing cost will likely be in the interior areas that are removed from the coast.
Some of the lowest priced housing will likely be found in interior Maine. You could try Franklin, Somerset, Aroostook, Oxford or Penobscot counties. Bangor Maine and areas near there will likely have more reasonable housing costs.
In New Hampshire the housing may be more affordable if you stay away from the coast as well. However, the lakes region tends to get expensive as well, and the higher housing costs are gradually moving further to the north as well. Some lower priced housing may be found in Coos County, but the area does not have as many jobs. I like areas near Littleton, NH because many of these smaller towns are vibrant and have nice old downtown areas.

[Sonnenwende]

Upstate NY is fairly affordable. It is not near the ocean, but there are the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario, which are all gorgeous.

[cm729]

Thank you for the suggestions. It will be helpful to have an idea where to start looking and see what kinds of things are available for our child. In general there seem to be more established programs in the Northeast than other areas of the country. We miss a lot of other things too, just didn't realize how much till now.

[JMX]

Washington County, Maine (a.k.a. Downeast Maine) still has affordable housing. It's a quiet, slow paced area from what I saw. If you can fiind a way to earn a living there, it may be what you're looking for. The larger towns are Ellsworth, Machias, Eastport, and Calais.

[ontheroad]

Waldo County (Maine) also appears to still have affordable housing. Check around Belfast, Searsport etc.