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Comment by thecosas | Hacker News Reader

Family/friends. Real-life social network/support often outweighs the gains of moving somewhere cheaper.

Having a support network of any kind is something very difficult to weigh economically; but it is invaluable at the same time.

If you've ever helped your friends move or have had them help you, you can weigh the economic benefit very easily.

Not only does it strengthen your friendship, but it takes the profit margin of a moving company out of the equation - that's the economic gain your group gains (even after you buy your friends beer and lunches - you should still be in the plus)

Because places where you can buy a house for $75,000 have jobs that pay poorly. I can't afford a 3BD detached home in the city limits of Vancouver, but I sure could move to rural New Brunswick. If I wanted to be bored to death and suffer through the winters.

Exactly ... it's a trap, moving somewhere cheaper for reasons of saving money.

How would that explain why probably upwards of 95% of people moving to the west coast (and trendy cities in general) have no family there, and likely no meaningful friend group or social networks there either?

The vast majority of people I talk to piling out west have no connections here whatsoever.

How many of them had strong connections and opportunities back home? How old are they?

I could move to rural Texas and live like ... well, better, maybe ... but there's no opportunity there, I'd make about a quarter of what I do now, if I could even find a job I wasn't overqualified for and not know anyone.

If I moved to the West Coast, I could up my pay, maybe, but that's about it. I'd still not know anyone.

All that stuff plays a part the older you get.

Bingo. The potential support amplifies for those that have (or are planning to have) children.

Similarly, people don't move to countries in southeast asia and live like kings. When asking "Why people don't just move", should ask the self "Would I move to southeast asia?"

Moving to a cheap tropical paradise sounds pretty nice, really.

But for anyone who has looked into it, you learn the visa situation is a nuisance. They don't want foreigners longer than a vacation.

Indeed. Many people fail to realize or acknowledge just how valuable those things are until they lose access to them.

yeah. an article that makes you say "duh" i guess i should have known that.

Precisely, the network effect is real.

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