It's not SF/NY vs. Des Moines. It's SF/NY vs. Seattle/Austin/Denver/LA. Your examples don't disprove the article's main point, which is that the cost of living

It's not SF/NY vs. Des Moines. It's SF/NY vs. Seattle/Austin/Denver/LA. Your examples don't disprove the article's main point, which is that the cost of living in the Bay Area (and New York) erodes much of the salary bump you get by working in those places. Paying $1200 to rent a bedroom is normal in NY and SF, but that price will get you an entire apartment or more in many other places. Look, to many of us, the Bay Area is worth its high cost - being in the center of the tech industry, surrounded by thousands of companies, and enjoying the beautiful weather of this region makes up for expensive housing. But as the tech industry grows in other cities and as their salaries increase, I'm beginning to seriously think about moving. The kind of tradeoffs that I made when I was young, stuff like having roommates, living in a rundown place, longer commute, etc. increasingly don't make sense as I get older. I have a family, and looking for a house in the Bay Area is a sobering affair. Nothing can be had in the Peninsula for under $1.2 million, and even across the Bay homes are $800k plus. Meanwhile my friends in Seattle and other cities are buying real family homes and living the American dream. I have to wonder, is it worth staying here?