Disagree. Perhaps the company is hiring for a skillset that is not widely represented in this particular local market and yet they are not committed to paying

Disagree. Perhaps the company is hiring for a skillset that is not widely represented in this particular local market and yet they are not committed to paying a salary that is competitive on a nationwide level. Paying an extra 20% on top of the first year's salary for help in unearthing a local gem may be preferable to trying to lure a Googler from Mountain View to Topeka at a rate that would be twice what the rest of the Kansan developers are asking.