You probably wouldn't want to live in a neighborhood where a house costs $35k. I used to live in Philadelphia, the median house price was around $100k, but it was skewed by neighborhoods with high crime rates.
Generally, here’s what I’ve seen gets you equivalent size/convenience/safety:
1m in NY
500k in DC
300k in Philly
150k in Pittsburgh.
I would absolutely believe you could find something nice for 5 figures in Detroit.
The point is that the bay area housing market is on one extreme and Detroit's is on the other.
Based on your question I think we have different core beliefs about what's important in raising a child.
Good for you. That doesn't answer the question of why you would choose to do that now when you don't have to.
Is that particularly helpful here in this discussion?
> That doesn't answer the question of why you would choose to do that now when you don't have to.
Nor does it answer the question of why that dichotomy is being presented as the only option.
I presented what I found to be the median home price, a price unimaginable to the average SF resident. It's a comparison point to highlight the vast gulf between the two markets. It's not a declaration of intent to drop what I'm doing and move to a $35k home in Detroit without critical analysis.
It's as helpful as you saying that you've lived in worse conditions in the past.