Well, I'm sure some people prefer the weather in California to that in Ohio. And yes, there are other places with moderate prices; large cities tend to have more opportunities, and rural areas have better quality of life. That's why I'm working in the former, so I can retire to the latter. :)
Houston is a large city with plenty of opportunity and good prices.
All I was really pointing out though, in the post comparing LA county to Summit is how incomes are NO DIFFERENT and I have no idea how people are buying those houses.
Fairfax County I believe has the highest household income in the country, but it also has very high real estate costs. Although it's cheaper than much of CA and incomes are higher.
I still stand by my belief that for SOME careers, it's better, but for others, you're better off with a lower paying job in a cheaper area, you have to do the math and figure it out for yourself!