Can I survive (financially) teaching in a community college in Silicon Valley?

There are plenty of nonritzy options not far from Los Altos. I live in an area of Silicon Valley that is definitely not ritzy: a neighborhood of older single-family homes, with some duplexes and small apartment units thrown in. We have high-rent neighborhoods close by and also pretty low-tier choices: columned mansions here, cardboard developments there, and plenty of condominiums and small single dwellings in between, all not very far apart.

However, even modest places can be expensive, depending on what you’re used to. Where are you now, and how much of a place are you looking for?

My sister lived out there and loved it. Unfortunately, divorce brought her back to the East Coast. She lived in Felton, which isn’t too far in my opinion from Silicon Valley.

I went out with her in December. It was really awesome to just go have lunch in the Redwoods because we could. I really liked the area. As @Jeruba said, there are some reasonably priced areas. I know my sister couldn’t afford something “ritzy,” but her neighborhood was safe and she was happy with her house.

What’s the salary?
Don’t worry about being in a ritzy community. Northern Californians are cool. You’re a teacher and therefore bullet proof anyway.

@Jeruba, thanks for the input. I’ve been living in the midwest for the last few years, where things are pretty cheap. I’m just looking for a 1 bedroom apartment. I don’t need anything fancy, but I’m trying to avoid the trashy, the cardboard. I was alarmed to see a broken down, moldy trailer renting for 1000 a month in Los Gatos! Ugh!

@Rarebear, the salary is 52–86. I’d probably get around 55.

@juniper You’d probably be okay. It won’t be as easy as living in Kansas, but probably more fun.

I agree with @Rarebear: you can do it as long as you’re careful.

I’d suggest looking for a place in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and San Jose. Felton would be a very long commute. Felton! That’s where we go on vacation, to a cottage by the river. I wish we could afford to buy a house over there in the redwoods. I’ve seen some nice ones for a couple million.

Believe me, my sister was not in any million dollar home, @Jeruba. :) It is a nice little area, though.