Austin and Houston are considerably more cost-effective places than the Bay Area, though both are becoming more unaffordable quite quickly, especially Austin si

Austin and Houston are considerably more cost-effective places than the Bay Area, though both are becoming more unaffordable quite quickly, especially Austin since it's the hip place to move to. Its current affordability won't last much longer than a decade, possibly shorter. In general, though, you want to carve out a niche for yourself in a place which is not a hot spot for technology. This makes you much more valuable locally; you don't have much competition because others in your industry don't like your city in general and aren't moving there; and it thereby allows you to attain compensation which is very high relative to the COL. Another strategy, which I would love to capitalize on myself in the next few years, is to work remotely. Find a nice suburban area to live in which has a lot of amenities without the high home prices. What holds me back is the fear of settling down in such an area, then getting laid off from my remote job 10 years down the line and having to rebuild my whole life to re-enter the game.