[rootusrootus]

I think it is pretty pointless to make nationwide comparisons.

For example, I looked and found a level 1 Software Engineer opening in Kansas City for 50K. That actually seems pretty good -- the median house price there is 120K. Here in Portland it's 345K, and entry level engineers aren't getting 3x the salary. More like 80K or so.

This actually sounds kinda like a good reason for moving to the midwest, assuming you like everything else about it there.

[dsr_]

The downside, mostly, is that your next job may need you to move again. Many people prefer stability in their housing arrangements, and are willing to trade off a lot for that.