If there were an alternative, we'd all run with you. There isn't, though. Something to think about when they say there's supposedly a "talent shortage" and they're having trouble "recruiting top performers".
Or you can take a massive pay cut, tank your career, and go live in the middle of nowhere.
Sounds great.
The other big thing is the lack of job opportunities in smaller cities, solvable via working remotely but still relatively uncommon, particularly for new hires.
Working remotely is an option here (if you go this route, look for a 100% remote company though).
It still sucks and I hate working, but it's the least bad path that I could find.
You can easily make 150k in this environment, where a 250k home is 3k sqft in a good neighborhood. I'm making quite a bit more in the management/director track.
Considering the ancestor comment and how the situation seems to weight on that person, I would advise to try and find a better situation, because from personal experience, when you start grinding yourself for a job postitve outcomes become very unlikely.
Meanwhile, I predict the new fad will be airline offices, because who wouldn't want all the fun and adventure of flying at the office? They'll all be sitting in economy class seats and working off tray tables, while the person in front of them leans their seat back and has loud conversations on speakerphone. And it'll be family friendly, too, with every day being "bring your screaming child to work day."