For comparison I like to use Texas versus California because the demographics are often nearly equally comparable given comparison of various metros and distributions. The biggest differences between the two states are that in California the cost of living is about 8x more (or 12x more in more extreme comparisons) even though both locations have near equal employment capabilities, same currency, and often many similar laws. To be clear earning $100,000 per year in Texas is a far greater indicator of wealth than earning $300,000 per year in California.
Owning an apartment in California is the reality in a major metro with a booming economy. Housing prices cost so much that owning a house often becomes completely unrealistic for many people. Not that it matters since past a certain point an apartment becomes a better value per square foot than a house anyways.
In Texas the opposite is true. After the housing crash of 2008 many people who could not pay their mortgage were forced out of their homes. The costs of apartments dramatically increased and the cost of homes dramatically decreased. It has always been a better value to own a home than live in an apartment, but that value gap increased noticeably. I can remember spending about $1200 per month for a 1200 sq ft apartment at that time and moving to a 3000 sq ft house and paying less per month. This gap is less noticeable in my geography now with Facebook and various other companies setting up shop minutes away.
I have also noticed that working in Texas (at various employers) there is a huge demographic divide among home owners and apartment renters at the work place. Once you get past around 27-30 years of age generally everybody in the office who is an employee owns a house. For contractors (non-employees) the home ownership rate goes down slightly. For non-citizens the home ownership rate goes down dramatically. Generally, given the income rates associated with technology work price is not a primary discriminator from owning a home in Texas, but mobility is. Those who have a greater need for increased mobility are less likely to own a home.
The bottom line is that if you want to own a home with a yard close to solid jobs you absolutely can and it is absolutely within reach. You must be willing to sacrifice your geographic location to achieve it though.