[Zuse]

You can live comfortably in Isabella County on $41,000.

A couple making $82,000 would be doing very well indeed.
The area is relatively safe and the schools regularly out-perform those in high-cost areas.

[Vigilanteman]

Our school district isn't so different and teachers average $58K. My neighbors across the street are in such a situation and I notice them replacing one car and an SUV every three years.

Our district is literally swamped with applications (roughly 300 to 1) every time there is an opening.

Yet they are constantly whining about not having enough money. They cancelled the Japanese program a couple of years ago even though they already had a teacher who, lucky for her, was also qualified to teach French, which they kept.

Big cost savings move considering they can afford $100K for a football coach who consistently produces 2-11 or 3-10 records. The former coach was doing just about the same, but at least he was only drawing $60K and actively getting the kids into colleges on football scholarships plus teaching several PE classes. Warped priorities!