I grew up in Silicon Valley and worked there until a few years ago when I moved to the Midwest to do a PhD. My wife and I are millenials and she is also from a big city area. The plan was to move back to Silicon Valley, where I can easily get a lucrative job in my field. But when we did the math, it was an easy decision to stay in the Midwest.

I miss the weather, but we're so much better off financially. Plus we bought a 2,400 sqft home with 3/4 acre in an amazing area for $300k. I have a huge home office, and two extra bedrooms. I don't need this much land, but to be anywhere near this comfortable in Silicon Valley would be years off and would require several things to work out perfectly.