Maybe some people are so desperate to escape cities and endless commutes that they are willing to take the risk. My anecdata is that I spent 17 years with one megacorp because they allowed me to WFH back when there were very few places I could jump ship to and not have to move back to the Bay Area.

The small town I live in has seen a large influx of Bay Area remote workers as well. Again - all anecdata, but it is noticeable.