I want out of the mountains

This may be seasonal depression talking or something but I am so so so done with ~western north carolina~

This place is made for tourists and I guess some college students that are cool with having 3-4 roommates.

Wanna live here and work here? Well fuck you for thinking you could do that. Here's a 1 hour commute for you. Oh and you can never own, only rent. Has your family been here for generations and now you're ready to go out on your own? Well you better fucking move somewhere else we need this to be an Airbnb city. With some cash and a little TLC this can be an ~investment property~

I get that it's everywhere and it comes from the top down but holy shit. And I know the owners of these properties. I know the managers. I know where the wealth comes from and who's got pull in the government etc, but truly this place is for the rich old fogies and their progeny and tourists and nobody else.

If anyone has any recommendations for a place to move where the schools are halfway decent, you don't have to make 6 figures and you won't be house poor, please let me know.

ETA - thanks for letting me vent. And thank you for the location suggestions. I've lived here and rented a long time and my partner's family has been here since the log cabin times, so it would be nice to stay here, but I just don't see it happening with our budget. And we do have degrees and jobs.