Ok, counterpoint:<p>I moved to SF from NYC about 3 years ago and, yes, it&#x27;s now definitely more expensive than NYC.<p>But I&#x27;ve built a friend network here that&#x27;s absolutely unsurpassed in my short 37 years on this earth.  I feel more at home in SF than I ever did in NYC - I see friendly faces all around the city, I run into people when out for a walk, I&#x27;ve got a group of people I cycle with regularly.<p>So - for that reason - even if you offered me 2x what I earn and a home&#x2F;apartment 3x the size - I wouldn&#x27;t even give leaving a minute&#x27;s thought.<p>How does that play into the thinking for other folks?  Do the folks who are thinking of just picking up and leaving not have friends they care about?  There&#x27;s got to be more to where you live than whether or not you own a home (and how big it is)....