I moved from Bumblefuck, Florida to the Bay Area and, while my salary increased by about 40%, my cost of living tripled, so I'm doing far worse than I was back in B.F.

I stay mainly because of the number of tech companies in the area. Anyone can lose their job at any minute, and if/when that happens I'd rather be in an area where there were options across the street than in an area with one option two towns over. I'd move back in a heartbeat if there were a more robust tech hiring market in the boonies.

I moved from Ohio to SF and got a raise. After 2 years, I've doubled what I was earning in Ohio. I also switched careers, from tenure-track university professor to web development.

My point is that code is the lingua franca of well-compensated digital laborers, which is the point the article hints in its closing sentence:

"Another customer service worker I’d talked to from a big software company decided that if she wanted to stick around the Bay Area, it was time to teach herself to code."

You could probably have gone from tenure track university professor to delivering pizza and still doubled your salary provided you didn't end up delivering in a crappy part of town.

For folks that think I'm being sarcastic, a quick google check returned an average salary for untenured professors at around $45,000 annually. I worked with a guy that banked ~$80k a year delivering pizza to a swanky neighborhood that included a bunch of corporate offices.

Also in Ohio and quite happy here. The lure of higher wages in CA isn't so amazing after taxes and the higher cost of living. My salary here would be a typical developer salary in the Bay Area if you factor in that. I might have to drive to work, but it's only a 15 minute commute.

I'd take your version too, if I could get it.