| You haven't presented even the tiniest reason to move. Why are you even considering it? You like your city, job, AND company. Yes, your company might change in a few years, but you'll still have options then. You'll be able to freelance at the very least. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. You've said that your combined income would likely decrease if you left. That's a big deal, especially considering cost-of-living in NYC or SF is likely double what you pay now. The startup world isn't a good fit for someone who needs to be as risk-averse as you, especially in SF. You need to have a plan for retirement and your children's colleges. You can't go bankrupt. In SF or NYC, you'd either have to rent (and burn a bunch of money) or buy a place that would also add a huge mortgage on top of your other expenses. There are many small-to-medium software companies in other, cheaper cities. If you really want to jump ship, check out Houston, Nashville, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte. There are probably more that I'm missing. Obviously you need to filter for the kind of lifestyle/culture that you want. Get your resume in the hands of some recruiters and see what turns up. |