[rad88]

They are at a disadvantage trying to find work on the other side of the country due to currently being homeless on the West Coast. People look for work starting nearby and then at increasing distances because that is the practical way to find work and minimize the risks and costs (financial and otherwise) of moving.

But if they were guaranteed a life in Illinois or North Carolina, maybe they would move? You and I don't know, but there is no reason to suspect they are simply being stubborn or foolish. It's entirely natural and rational to want to live, with your kids, in roughly the same region continuously.