I'm an attorney that lives in Youngstown, Ohio, which is probably one of the most economically depressed regions in the country. My salary is probably 2/3 (more likely half) of what it could be if I lived in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Columbus.
BUT, I am very geographically close to my family. Both of my brothers live within 3-4 miles. My dad and his wife are about a mile away and my mom is about 6 miles away. My wife's parents are about 3-4 miles away and her brother is about 50 miles away.
My older brother just had a baby, and the incredible support system they have is already showing its colors. They have had a revolving door of grandparents, aunts, and uncles visiting.
My wife and I have basically made the decision to have this support system in exchange for higher wages. The intangible benefit of having family geographically close speaks for itself,while there is also an enormous economic benefit as well. I'd estimate we will save $10,000 per year on babysitting/childcare per year because we won't need to export that service. It will also make us both more comfortable to get back to work ASAP, which will be invaluable for our careers.
These things make up for a lot of the difference in salary if I worked in a bigger market, so it's worth the trade-off to us. Plus, if you've never been to a small city like Youngstown, the life is just so damn laid back and easy as compared to cities where I could almost certainly make more. Cost of real estate and going out also make up for the lower salary. It all breaks even, honestly.
TL;DR: everything in life is a trade-off, and not everything is about salary.