As someone who lives in the SV suburbs, life is freaking AWESOME. My wife and I both work and we have a small kid. We make a lot of money so that I never have to check my bank account. And we are just mid level managers. We own two houses that have appreciated beyond our wildest dreams. I basically have my retirement savings after working here for only 7 years. Monetary benefits aside: - Both of us work in exciting mega unicorns in growth mode and with amazing benefits and work culture - The weather in SV is awesome year round - We can be outdoors 11 of 12 months - great for my daughter - SV is majority minority - so you can imagine the diversity along with all the food options - We love nature and it is virtually unlimited - SF has the best food scene in the US now (check latest Michelin reports) - I like the tech monoculture - Career choices are unlimited - CA government is very inclusive and responds to voter needs - I like the Ocean and also like Mountains - can be off to Tahoe every weekend in the winters - Amazing small towns in short distances - Napa, Sonoma, Healdsberg, Carmel, Big Sur etc. - Los Angeles is only 6 hrs away - Virtually unlimited things to do for kids - Many more