Yeah and just think of what you can get for under half a mil in say Alpharetta or Roswell... http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/reb/2071532092.html You can have a big estate home with a yard, or if you prefer, an amazing hirise or loft in the city. http://www.highrises.com/atlanta/midtown-condos-400000-500000/ Now compare that to say, Long Island NYC/manhattan in comparable areas... You get, literally, a shack! http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/reo/2077479341.html or a (literally) 400 sq ft box in the city, it even has a built in bunk bed!!!: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/reb/2077550925.html Now on top of higher state taxes, property taxes, shittier weather, and uglier women... It kind of cancels out the 5-7% wage differential really quick... I'm from Lenox/Buckhead area originally. I get home sick some occasionally, it's much better value than what you get where I am... The main negative is that the police act like nazis, but you get a lot of that in Cali and the NE also... The large eastern cities and cali are also now starting to look like some "feed the children" commercial too.. Seattle is still nice, but slightly pricey. Although Washington has no state income tax...