I think I may be a single person to provide counter-data. I live in a small mountain community. The closest thing resembling a tech hub near me is Irvine followed by Los Angeles. Easily 2+ hours away. I commuted out to near Irvine to start my career (about 1.5 hour commute, and still do the commute half the week). I know I am in the minority, and I would recommend that others increase their odds of getting a start by living near a tech hub for a couple of years, but it is not impossible.