How can I leave Seattle without screwing my career?

I grew up in eastern wa, BS EE, MS CS, first 3 years teaching CS at a state school and currently a patent examiner. I'm mid excited about the job b/c I expect to learn cool stuff, and because I realize my resume isn't competitive, especially in this job market.

That said, I'm also self-aware that I can't afford to live in Seattle with this job. I'm still applying and hoping to get a better role, and trying to build users for a consumer web startup. We're default alive on AWS credits, MVP built&passed first 20 users test, the challenge is the chicken//egg problem of all online communities.

I have been reading this board for like a decade. This is all the stuff I think is cool. I don't feel like I've found it in Seattle; this seems like a very 9-5 town where most who still have jobs want to recreate after work. And power to them! If I was making that money, living in this city, and had been since graduating from my BS I would feel the same. That said, I can't afford this, and want to have some dry powder to pursue the theoretical better opportunity that I hope is in my future.

I don't want to fully leave WA because all the people who care about me live here, and I've been close enough to the edge to realize how important it is to be in driving distance of someone who cares about you. Does anyone have a recommendation on how I can lower my cost of living, and ideally find some builders?