There are plenty of cities where raising a family is doable. Albany, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, St. Louis, even Chicago. Of course you're talking about NYC, San Fran, and LA and therein lies the problem.
Even in Atlanta, we're seeing pretty insane rent increases. It's hard to find anything under 1000. I pay just a tiny bit less than that just to rent a room in someone's house.
Chicago is quite expensive unless you live very far out or are willing to compromise on less desirable areas to live. I'm not sure the employment opportunities in these other cities are anywhere near the levels of the coasts though. Perhaps things have changed a bit recently, but my understanding is that most Midwestern areas suffer from brain drain issues.