Owning your own house isn’t the end all be all of cost of living. especially not if they bought a house pre-2020. I have a teacher friend who lives in the same state as me and she and her husband own a house. They bought it just before the pandemic after selling the first house they bought straight out of college. Because they were already living in the area and sold a home in the area it was much easier for them to buy a home here because of the appreciation on their first house. The same is not true for someone trying to move here from a place with a lower cost of living.

That’s my point, it’s not just about the pay. Relocation fees, differences in what they can sell for vs wheat they can buy in a different market, etc. It all adds up.