Not discrediting the amount of skills available on the US East coast but why wouldn't FAANG try to source new remote employees elsewhere in the US?
I think location will factor more into salary discussions moving foward, but it's not like there are a ton of software devs in South Dakota ready to take the jobs of the SV folks.
Yet.
That's the point. They're in places like SV, because they're required to be, right now. If remote work really takes hold, and folks can move to places like South Dakota, I bet that changes. That's the entire point. Right now there aren't folks out there, but there will be in the next 1-3 years, I imagine.
I say 'northern' rural area, just because I've never lived in a rural area in the south of the US.
It's more that I'd prefer to support schools and social programs, and have those open to me as best as possible, than get away from it all. I've been in a spot where if it wasn't for the ACA I'd be dead (specifically extension of parents insurance until child is 26) and if I didn't have strong local schools growing up I probably wouldn't have gone far. We do better when we work together and pool resources for all, including the next generation. It's hard for me to be a part of that by moving somewhere rural.
And I can't bring myself to move to a red state unless it's flipping purple and willing to basically pull a Virginia. The social rights differences between colors is serious and unfortunate.
There are tons of software developers in Canada though.