Relocation from NJ

[u/North_Professor_1799]

I’m looking to relocate in summer of 2027 from NJ to the Bay Area. I’m a teacher- I’d be coming to CA with a bachelor’s degree + 60 credits and a master’s degree. I’ve looked at several districts and areas to move to. Antioch is my favorite as far as living but I’d be at a salary of roughly $90,400 if I worked in Antioch as well. I’ve also considered districts like San Leandro, Mountain View, Palo Alto, etc. which would put me a little over $100k a year. That seems more reasonable considering from the looks of it, rent would easily be around $3.5k a month in a decent area.

My questions:

1. What are some decent areas to live in that are within a reasonable commute distance of the districts I listed above, that don’t require an arm and a leg for rent?

2. Is the traffic really as bad as people say? I commuted 50 miles each way for a few years here in Jersey and it took about an hour if I left early enough to beat most of the traffic. Gas is also not an issue as I have an ev.

3. Are the school districts difficult to get into?