Massachusetts is the place all Triton students refer to as home, and the majority of students at Triton have lived in either Salisbury, Rowley, Newbury or Byfield for their entire lives. With this being said, some of us are blind to the major differences such a Northern state possesses regarding costs and life styles versus a southern state.

    “There is a lot of differences between North and South because when my family was looking to move to Texas, we looked at houses that were about the same price as my house up here,” stated senior Riley Daniels, “For our normal size 4 bedroom houseboat in Massachusetts, we could have bought a mansion on three acres of land in Dallas.”

    According to CNBC.Com, $300,000 home in Mississippi will get you 3,402 square feet compared to a $300,000 home in New Hampshire will give you  2,007 square feet. With this being said, in Southern states you get more bang for your buck regarding real estate. A $300,000 home is the average middle class house price in the Northeast, and is sometimes referred to as “cheap” for houses far too overpriced. The median price for a middle class home in the south is $42,000-$125,000 which is an obviously drastic difference.

    Cars are another major item which differ from North to South. In the North, it is acceptable to have a nice 2- wheel drive lowered sports car in the spring, summer and fall months, however in the winter, consider taking a Uber to and from school for the next 3 months. In the North, having a 4- wheel drive car with special winter tires is totally necessary. As car accidents are inevitable anywhere, and frankly according to NWI.com, Massachusetts has the least number of yearly fatalities from car accidents than any state in America, the ice and snow that the winters bring us cause the majority of accidents.

    “The North has a higher cost of living but in the end, it turns out to be for the better,” noted senior Elisabeth Lindholm. “In the North, especially Massachusetts, the education and hospitals have a higher quality.”

     One of the prominent reasons people settle in Massachusetts or the northeast of the US in general is for its education. Massachusetts has been ranked number one for education out of all 50 states which is very enticing for young families. It is every parents dream to raise their children in good school systems where they will succeed the most. Along with education, Massachusetts also has world renowned hospitals that even people from other countries go to to get the medical care they need.

    According to USNews.Com, “...The National Assessment of Educational Progress, which the U.S. Department of Education bills as “The Nation’s Report Card.” The scores on the math test range from 0 to 500. Looking at the states whose eighth-graders scored highest on math in 2015, Massachusetts, the No. 1-ranked state in education and No. 8 among Best States overall, had the highest average score: 297. New Hampshire ranked second, with 294. NAEP scores show differences for boys and girls.” Here it is acknowledged that in 2015 out of all 50 states, Massachusetts received the best NAEP math score which is quite an achievement. Massachusetts’ rank according to the chart is lengths away from southern states Florida and South Carolina that rank in the mid 40’s out of all 50 states for education of all levels.