I'd say it's a tough call between inner city schools and rural areas. Both need teachers and both have problems getting and keeping good teachers. I wish I had better news for you, but NC and SC are both experiencing severe budget shortages. Teachers in both states are really worried about keeping their jobs from year to year. My sister teaches art in an inner city school in Raleigh. As far as we know, she still has a job in the fall. My husband teaches in the community college system and they are experiencing problems as well. I really don't think it's much better in VA, TN, or GA either. You can go to the website for the state of NC and see if they have information on teaching in the public schools (I think they do). They should have a link with job openings listed by county. If you have any questions about a particular county, you can PM me. I don't claim to have all the answers but I might be able to answer some questions. There are also private schools all over NC. I do wish your son well in his job search. Please keep us posted and let us know how things turn out. I do love living in NC and there are a lot of benefits to living here. Unfortunately, education is not a high priority with the legislature right now. There are several military bases in the state. Your son might be able to get a job at a high school in one of those areas. Teachers are not generally in the military even if they teach in schools that cater to military families. If I can answer any questions or help in any way, please get in touch! I've lived in NC most of my life. I grew up here, married here, mostly raised my children here. We lived in SC for a few years for my husband to finish college.