The reason you need to do it on the regional level is that you need to provide services that people are willing to pay for. I don't want to pay $35 for a burger

The reason you need to do it on the regional level is that you need to provide services that people are willing to pay for. I don't want to pay $35 for a burger because the waiter/waitress needs to make $100k/year or commute in 4.5 hours each way. I want a mix of high end and more moderate/casual dining options in my area, and that's only possible if people can live a "commutable" distance away from my neighborhood bar with the cheap burgers. This extends to every other service you expect or desire in reasonable distance from your job/house -- garbage truck driver, barber/stylist, grocery store checkout workers/stockers, etc.