http://time.com/money/3984416/solon-ohio-best-places-to-live...
You can buy a 4 bedroom house with a three car garage and a big plot of land for less than a 1 bedroom apartment in SV.
People who stick it out in places like SF, NYC or London tend to have different considerations in mind.
I'm 39, happily single, and live in inner Melbourne, Australia. I pay a small fortune in rent. I could live out in the 'burbs in a 4 bedroom house with a 3 car garage - but that's my vision of hell on Earth!
I absolutely have "different considerations". Bars and restaurants literally on my doorstep, a walk to work, no desire to own a car, singles like me as neighbours rather than families, etc.
Wasn't my intention, in any case. I was really just trying to point out, as dispassionately as possible, that (like many disagreements people have about major life choices) it boils down to preferences of values and taste -- and the inevitable tradeoffs was have to make when choosing to pursue these preferences.
Indeed -- some of my favorite people on this planet have homes with more bedrooms, bathrooms, parking spaces, living rooms, extra playrooms, etc, than they could possibly know what to do with. And I love them all dearly, just the same.
Sure, you can, but your salary would be much lower (half?) in Cleveland. And unless you're fully remote, there are far fewer tech jobs in that area. (I also live in Ohio.)