The cost of living is the bad of Massachusetts. In particular, housing prices are insane. Depending on where you live and work, the commute times can be excessive. A 15 mile commute can take an hour and a half depending on where you live.

It sounds like you have a good idea of the benefits of living here, and I think if people can swing it financially, it’s worth the trade-off to get those benefits.

It doesn’t sound like your jobs are conducive to remote work, so in the western part of the state, I recommend the Springfield area because you can expand your potential work area into Hartford.

Because of the cost of housing, people can’t make meaningful recommendations without a sense of your budget for either an apartment or a house. If you need to look at the school system for kids, that comes in to play as well.