[adamesque]

Parent says that California is their home state. Some people are okay with leaving home but many, many people like to stay close, even if that happens to be a HCOL place.

I dunno, a little sympathy goes a long way.

[alar44]

Not if you're earning a million a year. Figure it out. You can make 250k/year almost anywhere in the US and live lavishly. If people want to trade easy living for a cool hip city, that's their choice.

I've only been using HN for like a year, but some of the users here are living in a fucking bubble.

People in the Midwest can get by on $20/hr. Make a choice. Most expensive city, or, anywhere else. /Shrug

[taylodl]

You can live well anywhere in the U.S. making $250K per year, you're just not going to make that kind of money in most places in the U.S., even if you're FAANG-class material. I live in the U.S. Midwest and if you think housing is cheap here, think again. Oh sure, it's cheaper than NYC, LA and SF - no doubt. But in my town alone modest apartments in meh, not great, neighborhoods are now renting at $1,800 per month. By "modest" I'm talking about a 600 sq/ft two-bedroom townhome with no basement. Housing? Well, houses in the neighborhoods where people are getting violently murdered on a regular basis are going for $150K. If you want to live in a neighborhood where you don't have to lock 'n' load every time you leave your front door then it's going to cost you $300K. Oh, you wanted good schools too? That'll be $500K. That's in the Midwest.

But you're right, if you make $250K per year you'd live great here. You're just not going to make that kind of money around here. The going rate for experienced, good developers around here is roughly $120K per year. Inexperienced and you're looking at $80K. Granted, that'll give you a better quality of life than you would have working at a FAANG and living on the coast, but you're not going to be living lavishly.