Yes, of course. They're not the only picky ones, though. For instance it's very common for income debates on HN to be full of comments about how people "cannot

Yes, of course. They're not the only picky ones, though. For instance it's very common for income debates on HN to be full of comments about how people "cannot live on 12k/year." Replace 12 with whatever threshold you think it is. But they can, of course. I did for half of my adult life. It's a matter of pickiness. I had roommates I didn't enjoy, I ate rice and beans and ramen, I cooked for myself, I drove beater cars, I had no cell phone or no phone at all. But I always had money in the bank and I could pay my bills. It's a matter of choices. So yes, it's a matter of pickiness about the city. They're destitute in the country, perhaps, but they're living in the home their grandfather built, on the land he farmed, their cousin lives a mile up the dirt road, etc. Many of them aren't unhappy, frankly--people here have decided they are. But they aren't sure they'll make a lot more money by moving to the city, and they're definitely unsure about how they'll like it. My best guess is that most of them wouldn't. I moved away from the city on purpose, so perhaps my perspective is skewed. I would move back before I starved, but not much before that.