$3000/mo for rent is pretty basic but safe housing for a family of 4 in most of the area; there are broad areas of the bay area map that you won't be able to fi

$3000/mo for rent is pretty basic but safe housing for a family of 4 in most of the area; there are broad areas of the bay area map that you won't be able to find it that cheap at all. On the other hand it's possible to go lower by driving a bit more or compromising a bit. Part of the trouble is that income taxes are not based on local economies, so they'd be taxed as if they were quite well off even though they're struggling. A startup founder is not likely to have dependents so can divide by 4, and then not worry about things like how good the school district is. Although they may not be "rich" in the conventional sense, they likely have an education and connections that the guys who are stocking the grocery shelves can only dream of, and parents or someone else they can always fall back on if worst comes to worst.